


Indolent Overlord

by UnknownRegion



Category: Overlord - Maruyama Kugane & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brother Complex, Canon Divergence - Post-Chapter 3, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Fantasy, Gen, Lazy protagonist, Self-Indulgent, Skewered moral compass, Slothful Protagonist, aromantic asexual protagonist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:11:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 47,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnknownRegion/pseuds/UnknownRegion
Summary: What if Momonga hadn't been alone in real life or in YGGDRASIL? Insert Suzuki Satoshi, his lazy younger brother who can't help but drop everything to go sightseeing! A king of procrastination and idleness! War? Battles? Momonga's unintentional harem? He'd rather not get involved, so please leave him out of it, thank you very much. GEN.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wanted to write an Overlord fanfic. And now, I finally have a reason to! The key motivation is straightforward. I couldn't find many Gen fics to read... So this, my dear readers, is a strictly GEN FIC with little to no romance! **"If you can't find them, write them!"** MUAHAHAHHAA! v('∇'*)⌒ That's my motto when concerning fanfics!

Suzuki Satoshi stood by the Throne of Kings on the 10th Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, staring despondingly and unblinkingly at the Guardian Overseer's plastic smile. It was a habit he had acquired after the years spent languidly inside the Throne Room all by his lonesome.

He thanks the All-Father that Albedo wasn't a sentient lifeform. Otherwise, the succubus NPC would've undoubted thought him an inexorable pervert. Despite his rather creepy hobby, he honestly wasn't one. He simply appreciates beautiful objects, art, and landscapes ( _at times too much_ ). In order for him to relax, he would either A) go to sleep, or B) go sightseeing.

If there were still people wanting to accuse him of being a pervert, Satoshi would then explain to them in a complete monotone that he was an asexual and an aromantic person. This meant that he was someone who simply did not experience sexual and romantic attraction. He didn't feel the need to step into the world of romance since he was already sated with familial and platonic love.

As he patiently waited for his older brother, Suzuki Satoru, to finish with his final walk around Nazarick with Herohero-senpai, his game avatar lazily drummed its fingers across the armrest of this ridiculously oversized throne that tried to pass itself as one of those reverential and balance-breaking World Items (and failing,  _badly_ ).

Unlike his dear brother Momonga, Satoshi - or Adalbert when inside the game - worked from home and uses the majority of his free time to play YGGDRASIL, going through suicidal one-man raids in search for Legendary Equipment, Mythical Pets, and even World Class Items.

Although he did not know why he bothered to continue to amass and hoard all those items after YGGDRASIL's shut-down was announced all those months ago. Those treasures in the treasury would all go to waste.

In fact, they have already been collecting dust even before the shitty devs announced the discontinuation of YGGDRASIL. Many of his guildmates have retired as the years progresses, with a minority of them leaving without a goodbye, simply moving onto another DMMO-RPG or quit gaming altogether. All that remained was five out of the original forty-one. And out of those five, only Adalbert and Momonga frequently visited Nazarick and its denizens.

His dear older brother Momonga would sometimes join him in raids, all the whilst  _bitching_  about how suicidal and crazy Adalbert was for diving into guilds or dungeons all on his lonesome. The hypocrite. Momonga was equally as insane as he was; if not more - the obsessive dedication and mad devotion the Overlord put into his character and the guild was beyond any other Player.

It had been fun, though. With all forty-one of them. With just the two of them. Either way, _it had been fun._

When his eyes shifted to the unrelenting clock that showed the time [23:51:44], his lips twisted into a woeful smile. If his avatar was able to facially emote, it would be crying tears of grief and despair.

He made do with his physical body.

"Adalbert," his brother called upon entering the Throne Room with Sebas and the Pleiades at his heels, a smiley face emoji appearing beside his skull, "I should've expected you to be here. Am I disturbing your daily ogling of Albedo?"

Adalbert huffed, "For the very last time, anija, I do not  _ogle_. I  _admire._ Her beauty gives me  _aesthetic pleasure_. Tabula-sempai really has outdone himself with this one."

"Whatever you say, otouto," Despite being an emotionless skeleton, Momonga's tone gave his teasing away.

To quickly change the topic to prevent further embarrassment, he straightened his posture from its usual slouch to appear more composed, "Did Herohero-sempai leave?"

"Aa, he did. He was... overworked," One could tell from Momonga's tone alone that the Player was upset that Herohero-sempai decided not to stay. There was, after all, only nine minutes remaining until the server went offline  _permanently_.

"That's unfortunate... He should've at least sent me a Message before leaving."

"Let's later send him an email with all of our complaints typed inside, okay?"

"Hmm... With a lot of angry emoticons?" A laughing emoji appeared next to Adalbert's head, showing that he was only teasing. Inwardly, however, he felt bitter disappointment. It wouldn't have taken even five seconds for Herohero-sempai to send him a goodbye Message.

"Mm. I'll prepare a whole list."

"Okay, anija. Still, in the end, I'm glad he took the time to come online. But, at least the two of us brothers will stay until the very end. By the way, isn't that the guild weapon, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown?"

"Hm? Indeed it is. Do you think me selfish for wielding it?" At the uncertainty of the Elder Lich's tone, Adalbert immediately shook his head, a frowny emoji appearing next to his horn.

"Not at all. Anija is the guild master. It is within your rights to wield it as you wish," With a huff, he gestured at the golden staff as Momonga climbed the steps of the podium, "And it would be an _absolute waste_  of all our efforts if the guild master did not flaunt it at least once before..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

Momonga nodded in understanding, and if they were both IRL, the older of the two would've thrown a strained smile at the younger for that unneeded reminder of their rather limited time left in YGGDRASIL.

They stood in silence for a few moments before Momonga sighed, moving their conversation to a far more pleasant topic, "You wouldn't believe the absurd things I've read while looking through the NPCs programming and lore. Majority of the lower NPCs have simple and straight to the point context... the Mid and High ones, however, were lengthy. And some might have  _scarred_  me for life."

"I'll take a guess and point at Shalltear, for one."

In a dry tone, Momonga asked, "... Do I even want to know?"

"Well, let's just say Peroroncino-sempai dragged Tabula-sempai and I along when he conducted his research on necrophilia, atypical sexual preferences, and unsettling fetishes. It would've been better for my mental health to know that Ashurbanipal, our grand library, didn't contain such books..."

"Were you involved in a lot of the NPC creations, otouto? You make it sound as if you've had a hand in most of them," Momonga asked curiously whilst he used the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown to look through Albedo's settings.

Judging by all the swiping, it was a lengthy one. Tabula-sempai has always been a settings mania. Someone who prioritizes the delicate aspects and overlooked mechanisms of the guild, so it would not be a surprise that he did the same for his personal creations.

"Quite a number. I am mostly towed to their side to be used as a springboard to bounce ideas or find plotholes. Ulbert's especially."

"Is that so? Was that the reason you didn't create your own personal NPC?" Satoshi's lips curled into a secretive smile whilst Adalbert simply threw a grinning emoji. Before he could give a verbal response, however, Momonga suddenly choked, a comically horrified emoji popping beside his skull, "Really, Tabula-san...? ' _She's a two-faced bitch_ ' after all those respectable personality traits and meticulous backstory,  _really_?"

Adalbert burst into cackles, "As expected of Tabula-sempai! His tastes have always been odd. Do you want to change it?"

"Well..." Momonga sounded unsure. Adalbert knew that his brother would never disrespect their guildmates' NPC on a normal day, but this was already the end of YGGDRASIL.

" _'She's a two-faced bitch'_ ," He echoed, gently patting Momonga's forearm in a pitying manner, "How pitiful."

If Momonga could glare, he would be glaring right now. After a few moments of deliberation, Momonga's phalanges moved to input a few things into Albedo's lore.

"Uwaa..." Momonga suddenly facepalmed, sounding beyond scandalized and embarrassed, "This is embarrassing and definitely your fault, otouto. I shouldn't have added anything! Let me just erase-"

"Aa, it's okay, it's okay. Just leave it, anija. I'm sure Tabula-sempai would not mind. You can tell me what you wrote afterwards. For now, the time..."

_[23:58:58]_

At that, they both sobered instantly.

Momonga swatted away the configuration screen and strode to the throne, staring at it for a few seconds longer as if to appreciate it before he took a seat at his rightful place. Adalbert sat on the armrest to his brother's left, leaving Albedo to stand at Momonga's right.

"Bow down," The Overlord commanded in a slightly resigned tone. Adalbert looked away from the kneeling NPCs to take in the sights of all the banners in the Throne Room, feeling tears roll down his physical body's cheeks. He would miss this. All of this. So,  _so_  badly.

_[23:59:13]_

"It's been fun, hasn't it, anija?"

"Mm, it has, otouto."

_[23:59:20]_

"I'll miss them."

"I too will miss them."

_[23:59:23]_

"Especially the Great Tomb of Nazarick and all the NPCs inside."

"... Indeed. We can e-mail our friends anytime. But for all of our creations... It's sad. I wonder if they will all disappear just like that?"

_[23:59:44]_

"I'll disappear  _with_  them. You too, anija. It's the least we could do to ease their departure."

"Heh. Of course. Did you expect any less of me, otouto? The All-Father might abandon YGGDRASIL, but we'll remain with our precious creations until the very end."

_[23:59:56]_

"Long Live Nazarick!"

"Long Live Ainz Ooal Gown!"

_[23:59:59]_

...

..

.

_[00:00:05]_

"Eh?"

"Hm?"

* * *

**A/N:**

Character Sheet

[Adalbert Cross |  Heteromorphic Race | "THE UNMOVING KING"] **  
**

**Job:**

=One of the Almighty 41 Supreme Beings

=Right hand of the Ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick

**Residence:**

=Great Tomb of Nazarick

=Room in Level 9

**Alignment:**

=Extreme Evil

**Sense of Justice:**

=-500

**Total Level: 100**

**Racial Level: 35**

=Sloth Demon (15)

=Demon Lord (10)

=Sin of Sloth (5)

=One True Devil (5)

**Job Level: 65**

=Gunner (10)

=High Tamer (10)

=Beast Tamer (5)

=Conqueror of Shadows (5)

=Deadeye (5)

=Shapeshifter (5)

=Etc (25)

**Status:**

=HP (72)

=MP (61)

=Phy. Atk (95)

=Phy. Def (41)

=Agility (Exceeds Limit)

=Mag. Atk (60)

=Mag. Def (37)

=Resistance (100)

=Special Ability (100)

=Total (666+)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised: 07 February 2019  
> Disclaimer: Image of Adalbert is not owned by me.


	2. Chapter 2

"My Lords? Please pardon me if my words bring offense, but is something the matter?"

The two Suzuki brothers stared unblinkingly at the rather  _animated_ (her mouth was operational! She has a voice! Her face wasn't stiff! How was she moving without instructions?! Why was she so...  _alive_?!) Guardian Overseer who looked to be fretting. They stood without words, jolting up from their respective seats as soon as they realized they had not been booted from the server.

The clock didn't seem to be malfunctioning. The HUD and console, however, were.

Adalbert saw that his brother was also trying futilely to contact a GM for assistance, but with every failure, they grew more and more anxious and desperate. However, before they could fully enter panic mode, Momonga's whole frame suddenly stilled. It took a couple of seconds before a rich baritone, deep and commanding, reached Adalbert's ears.

"We are fine, Albedo."

 _Like hell they were!_ He mentally yelled, his fingers twitching ever so slightly as he resisted the urge to tug Momonga's sleeve like a nervous child. Like how he always did whenever he wanted to be comforted by his big brother but felt too embarrassed to speak those words out loud.

Before he could question (rather hysterically) how Momonga could just  _shrug_   _off_  his apprehension and panic, Adalbert abruptly felt a shift within himself. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Everything felt too troublesome... and  _why was he getting so emotional_ , again? Wasting any more energy for such sentiments would be unproductive. He felt so sleepy - and his brother's tenor wasn't helping.

When was the last time he slept, anyway? It felt like he was in a dire need of rest.

 _Fourteen hours ago_ , he answered his own question after a few seconds of pondering. But why did that feel so  _wrong_? As if he was used to taking naps routinely... and the idea of staying active for more than four hours straight was pure  _torture_.

"Momonga-sama? Adalbert Cross-sama?" Albedo's angelic voice called his attention, her brows furrowed in concern as she hovered like a helicopter parent, "May I know what troubles My Lords so? This humble one will do everything in her power to correct any blunders."

"The GM call function isn't working," Momonga pondered out loud as he reseated himself on his throne. He then released the staff he had been holding, those gleaming red orbs that acted as the undead's eyes were intense ( _how_?) as they scrutinized the floating gold weapon.

Adalbert remained silent. After the death of their parents, he often took cues by observing Momonga. And all of his brother's actions, Adalbert had come to learn, always had meaning and rationality behind of them. So he didn't question or interrupt his brother's thinking, knowing that Momonga was by far the smarter and more responsible brother.

Albedo blinked a couple of times before she took a step back, bowing at a 45degree angle with a regretful expression on her beautiful face, "Please forgive me. An ignorant one such as myself does not know what this ' _Gee Em call function_ ' My Lord speaks of. If you will allow me to correct my mistake by broadening my knowledge, I will be forever grateful!"

Adalbert couldn't help but marvel at how _life-like_  she was behaving, at how fervent she appeared to be. He was someone who observed Albedo almost ritually, always whenever he returned from an exhausting raid, wanting a moment to relax as he praises Tabula-sempai's exquisite work of art.

So he  _knows_  just how astonishing this change was.

It was as if comparing heaven and earth.

Her facial expression, which used to only be nothing more than a plastic smile, was now full of unrestricted activity. In addition to that, her slitted pupils and droopy golden eyes now  _glowed_  with something akin to  _longing_  when she beheld Momonga's form. This NPC, who used to be a gorgeous but lifeless marionette, transmogrified to be downright  _ethereal_. It made him, a person who hoarded beautiful objects like a demented magpie collecting miscellaneous items, want to shove her into his Item Box and never let go.

... Abort,  _abort_! Terminate those trains of thought immediately! That was too damn creepy even for his standards. Who the hell collects living things as if they were simply objects? Gods, something must be wrong with his brain. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation talking.

He shook his head to clear his mind from traversing through more dangerous waters and went back to pondering on this unknown situation they were in.

Had there, perhaps, been an announcement about an update he had missed? It was doubtful, but he needed a second opinion.

"Anija..." If they were both startled by how androgynous and monotonous he sounded, neither of them showed it, "Did the All-Father announce the prolonging of YGGDRASIL?"

It had long been decided between the two chuunibyou brothers that they would roleplay whenever they were online (especially after everyone  _left_ ). After countless of years, it became an ingrained habit to simply refer to the game creator as the All-Father, the VR game itself as YGGDRASIL, the 'NPC' as the true inhabitants of YGGDRASIL, and the Players as some kind of selfish immortal-like deity who could create their own 'organic life' after meeting the right conditions.

So, despite being clueless as to what the bloody hell was going on, Adalbert fell back into a comfortable routine of roleplaying with Momonga.

In the future, the two Supreme Beings would be thankful for this ingrained habit of theirs. It became easier to act out their respective roles until they fully  _adapted_. Humanity was overrated, anyway.

"No. One of us would have known otherwise. Something must have gone awry. Sebas!" Momonga turned to the Head Butler, for now ignoring the Guardian Overseer that was  _still_  hovering between the two Players.

"Yes, Momonga-sama," The Butler in question answered with a loud voice as he raised his head, revealing a stoic (but still  _lively_ ) expression.

The Overlord was silent for a couple of seconds before he spoke with an authoritative tone of voice,"Take one of the Pleiades and confirm the surroundings around Nazarick. I want you to scan the perimeter for any threats within a kilometer of the tomb. Do not engage if unneeded and unprovoked. Be careful, Sebas. Expect the unexpected and act accordingly to my expectations."

"Understood, Momonga-sama. I will be on my utmost guard. Lupusregina, accompany me, please."

"Yes, Sebas-sama."

Sebas and his chosen Pleiades bowed respectfully once more before they left, and despite walking in dress shoes and high heels, their steps were surprisingly silent.

Adalbert found it interesting that they were able to follow specific commands that hadn't been entered into the guild's control mechanism, even allowing for an NPC to  _direct_  another NPC. If this was an update (he has a nagging sensation that  _no_ , this was something much  _different_ ) that evolves the NPCs' AI software to give them the appearance of self-awareness, he would rate it 10/10.

He both dreaded and anticipated the outcome of more of his brother's tests.

Momonga continued evenly without a pause, "The rest of the Pleiades will head to the 9th Floor and guard it against possible intruders."

"Understood, Momonga-sama," Yuri Alpha was the one who responded on behalf of the group. The Pleiades all bowed respectfully before they took their leave in an orderly manner befitting of highly trained battle maids. Adalbert felt pride blooming in his chest, making his whole body go warm with tingly parental fondness (or the crazy uncle next door type of sentiment).

Then, as if realizing something  _world-shattering_ , he stilled like a statue.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he raised a hand, turning it  _this_  and  _that_  way. The skin, he observed, looked deceptively smooth and soft and was onyx black in color, which changed abruptly at the fingers, making the digits appear as if he had dipped them into a bucket of blue tar. His fingernails were thick, sharpened, clawed and long.

It was familiar.

Familiar enough that he knew, if he bunched up his sleeve, the onyx skin would gradually lighten into paper-white with a tint of translucent blue from the elbows onward. His avatar's demihuman form has a skin tone that was a mix of his human form and his grotesque form; a mixture of charcoal black arms that was supposedly textured similarly to scales, and a white-blueish body that made him appear delicate enough that a gale could blow him off his feet.

Yet, it was  _that_  familiarity that made his brain crash and reboot, the latter without apparent success.

He clenched the hand into a fist, watching with  _utter fascination_  as the muscles contracted and  _moved_ , the veins on his dorsum  _bulging_. Inhaling a shaky breath through his mask-covered nose, he brought up the other hand, and in child-like curiosity, trailed his fingers across the skin.

They felt like scales. And that should be  _impossible_.

He shouldn't be able to feel the texture of his Obsidian Pellis skill. He shouldn't be able to feel the tension of his muscles. He shouldn't be able to feel the bones shifting when he cracked his finger joints. He shouldn't be able to feel the radial pulse that was rhythmically thudding continuously on autopilot. He shouldn't be able to feel  _anything_  physically.

But here he was, experiencing it right now. Everything was surreal. This avatar felt like it was his  _physical_  body - which should be impossible. And now that he was paying attention, why was his chest moving in a steady rhythm with every breath he took? As if he was alive. As if this was real. But was  _this_  real or was this just an insane dream of his?

... But did it really matter if this was reality or fiction?

He wanted to take a nap or go sightseeing - which was a completely random train of thought. It nagged at his awareness endlessly; that his frame of mind might have been...  _reshaped_  (for the lack of better wording) to fit more into the mindset of a Sloth Demon.

{Ah, ah, ah, testing  _eins_ ,  _zwei_ ,  _drei_. Can you hear me, otouto?}

He blinked at the familiar voice echoing within his mind, hands dropping bonelessly to his sides at the distraction. He inclined his head at Momonga-ani, who was staring at him with a look he couldn't quite decipher. Or, really, how does one go about reading the expression of a skeleton?

He decided to ignore his own questions for now and answer his brother's for the sake of his own sanity. Replying to a Message using only his mind and not his console was a challenge, but he succeeded after his second try.

{Loud and clear, anija. Good to know that Message works. But German, really?}

{...  _Shut up_. It was a test.}

{Your obsession with the language and its culture still baffles me.}

{Quiet, otouto. We have other important matters to discuss. Do you suspect what I'm suspecting right now?}

Adalbert gave a soft chuckle, which made Momonga look away as if pouting. If the latter had skin, he would've undoubtedly be flushed red with mortification by now. Being the good little brother he was, however, he decided to let his big brother keep his dignity.  _For now_. They, as what Momonga had said, needed to be serious.

{Bottling up your obsession is unhealthy, anija. You'll end up creating something weird... Oh, wait. You already did. But yeah. Onto more important matters. If what you're suspecting is: we're actually in our avatars without an out button, then yes, we're on the same wavelength.}

{Your commentaries and puns aren't appreciated right now, brat. But yes... I was afraid of that. Do you feel any different from usual? For me, whenever I  _feel_  too intensely, a green light envelopes my body and regulates my emotions. Also, my thought processes seemed to have heightened considerably. It feels as though I am able to use more of my brain's capacity, despite technically not having a brain right now.}

He hummed quietly under his breath as he replayed the memory of what had occurred a minute or so ago.

{I didn't see any green light, but you do seem oddly calm and clear-headed when you should be freaking the hell out right now. Perhaps it is due to being an Overlord, an advanced race with high Intelligence and Wisdom stats. For both your emotional and clinical responses, I reckon it's an undead thing.}

{I assumed as such. Your opinion does help strengthen my theory, however. And you? Shouldn't you be, and I quote; freaking the hell out right now, too?}

{... Rather than being regulated or repressed, I feel that intense emotions take far too much energy. They're... troublesome? Bothersome? It's weird. I don't really know how to put it into words. I'm also  _constantly_  exhausted. I just want to take a nap...  _Forever_. Or something along those lines. I'm also oddly fine with the loss of my human body. Uh, assuming we're trapped in YGGDRASIL.}

{Indeed. I'm strangely fine with being an undead and forever losing access to my human body as well. There is, however, another way to find out if we can get forced out of YGGDRASIL. A last attempt, if you will. Look away, otouto. This will be pretty awkward for you and me both.}

Raising a challenging brow, he did the complete opposite of what he had been told (like the brat he was) and stared harder at his brother, making the Elder Lich sigh at his bratty attitude.

"Albedo."

The Succubus was like an eager puppy, perking up keenly at his brother's call, "Yes, Momonga-sama? Please order me as you wish."

"Come closer," She did just that, directly into his personal space, which made his brother scoot discreetly backward as if uncomfortable at her proximity, "I'm going to touch you."

"Yes...  _Hyah_!" The Succubus's breath hitched as soon as Momonga wrapped his sharpened phalanges around her wrist.

By now, Adalbert was getting a clear idea of what his brother would be doing within the next few seconds. The only other way for a Player to be forced out of YGGDRASIL was to do...  _adult stuff_. Rule 18 modulation; nothing that was Rated R and above should be done lest they want to get kicked out of the server.

He didn't know whether he should berate Momonga for his opportunistic mindset or watch how it plays out like some form of TV entertainment. As soon as the question came to mind, he decided on the latter. The first option would take far too much energy for him to bother with it.

"Albedo. C-can I touch your chest? You don't mynd...  _mind_  that, do you?" The  _almighty_ Overlord stuttered, much to Adalbert's growing amusement. Watching his brother make a fool out of himself was better than any 21st-century soap opera.

"Not at all! Please touch me as much as you wish, Momonga-sama!" Her beautiful face contorted into a lecherous smile as she presented her chest forward. He watched as those ginormous orbs bounce almost eagerly near his brother's raised hand, her cheeks flushed an attractive red.

Her straightforwardness made Adalbert shift discreetly away from the two in case his brother decided to stop being a virgin. But that got him thinking. Did Momonga still have  _that_  particular set of equipment?

Unintentionally, his eyes strayed to the undead's pelvic region before he quickly looked away with an awkward blush, not wanting to be caught staring inappropriately.

After a minute of silence (he was dutifully ignoring the Guardian Overseer's wanton moaning), Adalbert risked turning his sight back at them. He deadpanned.

{How long do you plan on fondling her breasts, anija? Are you sure this is all for experimentation purposes? Have your desires taken over? My, my, my, how pervertic. Just like Peroron-sempai.}

At his Message, Momonga froze completely before he all but tore his hand away from Albedo's breasts. Unfortunately, it took all but a second to regain his composure. Adalbert bit back his amusement, wishing dearly he could see the 'green light' work its magic.

"I apologize, Albedo."

{S-shut up, you! I got lost in thought. Why didn't you say anything sooner?!}

{Don't you mean you got lost in the sensation? And you were the one who told me to look away, anija.}

{... We will never speak of this ever again.}

 _Blackmail material acquired,_ he inwardly noted with glee.

Albedo all but  _beamed_ , illusionary flowers and sparkles floating all around her, "There's no need for such apologies, Momonga-sama! Are you going to take me here for the first time? What shall I do with my clothes? Shall I strip right away-"

{I'm curious, anija. Why is she so eager? I know she's a Succubus... but... I get the feeling that that's not it.}

{I... may or may not have overwritten that she is in love with me.}

"-Or does Momonga-sama wish to be the one to undress me? Or perhaps you would like to keep them on...?"

{ _Pbbtt_?! Excuse me?! Please repeat that, my dear Overlord! Is there still a voice recording function we can use?}

{... We. Shan't. Speak. Of. This.  _ **Ever**_.}

"-It'll get dirty, but, if Momonga-sama prefers it that way, I have no objection whatsoever-"

As Albedo talked faster and faster in her eagerness to please, Momonga was too flabbergasted at her straightforwardness to really do anything useful but stare dumbfoundedly like the middle-aged virgin he was.

_(Perhaps that was the reason why Momonga changed her character settings from a 'two-faced bitch' to 'madly in love with Momonga'. Despite always being there for his big brother, a family member was different from a lover. Although Adalbert, an aromantic, would never truly understand Momonga's feelings of longing for a romantic partner.)_

Adalbert finally decided to remind the Succubus that there was another person present in this room before his big brother could explode into a fireball of shame.

"Leave such activities for later, Albedo. Now is not the time to allow your lust to override your behavior," The woman halted all movements at his words.

In a split second, before he could even blink, she was already three steps away from the podium and was on one knee with one arm crossed over her chest, her expression carefully blank as she bowed her head at his reprimand.

"My deepest apologies, Adalbert Cross-sama, please forgive my oversight. I apologize for overstepping my bounds, Momonga-sama. I shouldn't have prioritized my own desires when we are having an emergency!"

 _Wow_.

He would've felt bad for cockblocking Albedo (and anija) at such a wonderfully opportunistic moment, but he suddenly felt too tired to care - as if all of his energy, along with his amusement, had been sapped right out of him. He wanted to get this  _over and done with_  so he could return to his room and take a power nap.

"All is well. I, however, encourage that you prioritize next time." He then sat on the throne's armrest and leaned heavily against his brother's side, making sure to avoid the pointy shoulder pads. He sighed at the sudden feeling of lethargy before he questioned, completely in monotone (kind of an ongoing theme for him now, he noticed), "Momonga-ani?"

"Right," Momonga paused, red orbs trailing down his little brother's sluggish form and lethargic behavior in blunt scrutiny before he moved them to the only woman in this room, "It's fine, Albedo, do not worry. I forgive you completely. More importantly, I have an order for you."

"I will do anything you wish, Momonga-sama."

"Except the Guardians of the Fourth and Eighth Floor, gather the remaining to the fighting arena on the Sixth Floor within an hour."

"Understood."

When it was only the two of them left in the Throne Room did he finally allow himself to yawn, his body all but being supported by his big brother's.

"Why not Victim as well?" He drawled, not really caring about the answer but feeling somewhat defensive on behalf of the Guardian for not being included in the list.

Was, to Momonga, the fetus-angel not as important as the rest of the Floor Guardians? It was only thanks to Victim that they managed to stop the overly eager 1,500 Players from conquering the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

"... You're tired. More so than usual. Does your race give a somewhat soporific effect?" Was his brother's not-answer.

"Aa, yes," He slurred, eyelids drooping at an alarming rate as he curled his fingers into the left sleeve of his brother's academic gown, "I, I think the racial lore of the Sin of Sloth is affecting both my physiology and psychology more than I had previously presumed. Unlike... how it is... back th... en..."

Momonga ran his phalanges through the Sloth Demon's silver locks, careful to avoid his horns, and murmured soothingly, "It seems so. Go take a nap, otouto. I'll wake you in an hour. Unfortunately, we have too much at stake and can't retire for the night just yet. You can sleep longer after we have solidified our confirmation of this situation."

"R-right." He maffled. The second those words left his lips, he automatically thought of the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown and used it to teleport himself outside of his assigned room back in YGGDRASIL.

He would've been completely  _awestruck_  by how cool it felt to actually teleport, but he discarded those thoughts and feelings in favor of stumbling into his bedroom and diving into the king-sized bed, too tired to continue thinking.

On habit alone, he wiggled until he made a blanket burrito, and as soon as all of him was fully buried, he was out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be changes soon to make this different from canon, so bear with me for now, please! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter...? Please let me hear your thoughts (o'ｕ≦o)
> 
> Revised: 07 February 2019


	3. Chapter 3

The corner of Adalbert's lips curled downwards in discontent when he felt someone try to steal his blanket away from him. With a ruthless vengeance, one of his legs slithered out of his warm blanket burrito and struck the fool who dared disturbed his slumber.

As soon as he felt the bones shatter under the force of his kick, he withdrew his limb and fell back into Morpheus' embrace. Completely unaware of his actions, this was already the hundredth or so 'someones' he had kicked in his semi-conscious state.

{..to...  _Otouto_! Wake up and stop destroying my skells or I'll seriously dunk you into the Seventh Floor's magma pits. Or better yet, I'll bend you over my knees and spank you like some misbehaving little shite that you are!}

It took a couple of seconds for his brain to register the venomous threat, but when it did, he all but jolted awake in muted horror. The booming voice of his  _devil_  of an older brother all but made the pleasant fog in his brain dissipate, leaving him at the mercy of early wakefulness.

{I'm awake! I'm awake, anija! Just  _don't_  come here!}

{Hmph. Good to know that I still have it in me.}

He groaned at his brother's bad attitude and threw the covers off of him, his silver locks bouncing free from its confines and curling everywhere in a state of disarray.

His body still felt heavy from such a short nap, but he knew a warning when he heard one. Despite preferring to sleep  _forever_ , he wasn't suicidal enough to ignore the great Momonga-sama after countless years deprived of success.

{Whatever. What do you want, anija?}

Now that he was more awake, he studied the interior of the plain, modest sized bedroom whilst stretching languidly. The walls and ceiling were painted in all-black, with no windows or anything remotely interesting to capture an individual's attention... except for the gothic, king-sized, circular bed he was sitting on.

Well, he mused, he did originally make this room with the imaginary mindset of a Sloth Demon. Something in him purred at the simplicity of it all, so he shrugged, not minding the lack of decorations. The only important object he cared for was the bed; soft and comfortable and filled with numerous nemu nemu pillows in the shape of YGGDRASIL mobs.

It wouldn't even be an overreaction if he says he could make a ginormous pillow fort with the number of pillows he has in his collection.

{An hour's almost up. Meet me at the Amphitheater in 5 mins.}

{I got it.}

{ _Oh_  - and before I forget. Have you tested any of your Skills yet?}

{Aa, not yet. But soon.}

{Make sure you do.}

{I know. Don't worry, anija.}

Just as he prepared to stand, the crunching underneath his feet made him pause. It was then he saw the many bones scattered all over his floor - human bones, by the looks of it.

With one raised brow, he couldn't help but wonder why these things were in his bedroom, before discarding those thoughts aside and kicking the nearest bone (a skull) away, having deemed them unnecessary details for his brain to process.

He then noticed he was not as barefooted as he initially thought. On his legs was a pair of knee-high, black combat stilettos boots with navy blue fur lining the top, the ends of his dark trousers tucked inside. He grimaced at his lack of bed manners.

Next time, he would need to remember to remove his shoes and change into comfortable clothing before climbing into bed.

When he spotted a vanity mirror to his left, he half-heartedly decided that he should  _at least_  try to make himself presentable, so he sauntered over. He peered almost shyly into the reflective surface with a slight tilt of his head.

 _Aa_. Again, he hadn't noticed he had slept with something constricting on. It was his mask this time - and he had to wonder how it felt so natural to have it on at all times. Apprehensively, he tugged at the metallic black mask that was covering the lower portion of his face and set it gently on the vanity table. He then quirked his lips into a testing smile.

_Oh, wow._

He couldn't help but marvel at the subtle shifting of the facial muscle when they were in motion, his fingers idly tracing his lips in an almost reverent manner. He already knew by observing Albedo, Sebas, and the other Pleiades, that mouth movement and expressions were possible, but he still had some doubts left in his mind.

This, however, made all those diffidence he was feeling fly out the metaphorical window.

Shaking his head slightly, he set his clawed hands on his lap and carefully inspected his reflection. His short, silver hair was  _slightly_  disheveled as it fell over his right eye, leaving the gothic, inverted cross tattoo on his forehead partially visible. Since it didn't look all that messy (to him), he decided to forgo brushing for today.

His ears were pointed like any other Demon's, with a pair of black cross earrings dangling from his earlobes. Protruding from his occipital skull, just situated by the back of his ears, were two blue horns, curved forward and upward, with the right being slightly longer than its counterpart and giving him an additional 5cm boost in height. They were also textured similarly to unrefined sapphire ores.

His eyes were narrowed and half-lidded with slight eyebags underneath, making him appear like an eternally exhausted insomniac. Combined with his completely black sclera, blue iris, and cross pupils, they gave him an inhuman appearance. There was also his long and slender tail, completely covered with black metal plates and curled loosely around his waist deceptively like a belt, which suited his tailcoat jacket rather well.

No matter how  _humanoid_  he was, the color of his eyes, the pointiness of his ears, and the horns were a clear indication of his Demon heritage. On another note, should he try to activate his Shapeshifting abilities to change into his human form or his Heteromorphic form for experimentation purposes?

_..._

Aa, forget it. Shapeshifting just for the sake of shifting would be a complete waste of energy. He should leave them for when he needed such forms. He preferred his demi-human form to his other ones, anyway.

With a slight curve of his lips to show his satisfaction at the familiarity of his current body, he re-equipped the mask and stood.

Feeling that he had delayed enough, he brought his left hand to his face and stared blankly at his thumb, where the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown was equipped.

"How is this used again?" he pondered out loud.

In YGGDRASIL, with the help of the HUD, he used his console to 'click' the equipment to activate its effects, but now, he was missing said HUD and console.

With a frown, he focuses inwards. He somehow knew  _instinctively_  how the ring works, like how he instinctively knew how much MP he has, how to shapeshift, and how to use his Skills.

Mentally 'using' the ring, he pictured the Sixth Floor arena.

He appeared instantly at one of the many secluded corridors of the Amphitheatre, much to his wonderment and glee. It felt different from the game, but similar as well. Teleporting... humanity's (though he wasn't human any longer) fantasy has turned to reality at long last.

Now, he has a  _legit_  excuse to not walk around Nazarick. Why bother when he could simply  _teleport?_ That meant Gate could be used without holding back as well!

... If Momonga could hear his inner thoughts, the undead would undoubtedly be facepalming at his little brother's sheer laziness.

For now, he wiped all outward traces of his delight and sauntered towards the familiar group of four standing at the middle of the Coliseum. He stopped just short to his brother's left, inserting himself stealthily without any of the present Guardians noticing his arrival.

Momonga placed a skeletal hand on Adalbert's head, ruffling his hair to show his awareness of the Devil's presence. He couldn't help but smile and lean into his brother's touch. They have always been close, thick as thieves, with a strong bond that was only hardened by the death of their parents.

He disliked the current height difference between them, however. Despite standing a good 1.85m in height (discounting his horns), he was completely dwarfed by Momonga's 2m bulkiness. The robes made the Overlord appear robust even though he was a bloody skeleton underneath all that unnecessarily flare.

"It's nostalgic, is it not?" Momonga whispered, his tone wistful as they observe how Shalltear and Aura bicker about  _boobs_  of all things. Mare, the uninvolved party, was slowly backing away, not wanting to get involved.

Adalbert continued to soak in the feeling of pride and fondness at seeing the liveliness of Nazarick's NPCs... But should he continue to call them NPCs, however? Well, whatever. It was not as if it would make any difference if he called them anything else.

"Aa, it is. Just like those highly entertaining and never-ending 'feuds' between Peroron-sempai and Bukubuku-sempai," He answered with equal softness, though his monotone prevented him from sounding just as wistful.

Despite the two NPCs having a different set of vocals, he could almost imagine them as Bukubuku-sempai and Peroron-sempai right now.

"Bukubukuchagama-san has always had the belief that the younger siblings should always listen to their older siblings -  _which I concur, by the way_  - but Peroroncino-san would always rebel and talk about his love for H-games. They're never on the same page."

"And that frustrates her to no end. She always complains about his unhealthy obsession with eroge, which I find to be highly hypocritical. She voiced in a lot of popular H-games if I'm not wrong. And I am going to have to disagree with you, anija. Younger siblings are born to frustrate their older siblings. 'tis the fact of life."

"You're such a brat." Momonga's phalanges, which had been idly caressing his hair, promptly smacked the back of his head in reprimand. It only made him grin cheekily behind the safety of his mask.

"You love me, anyway."

" _Haa..._ " The Overlord sighed dramatically, "That I do."

His grin softened into a smile, "I love you too, anija."

"I know," Momonga's tone was mellowed as if he was content. But suddenly, he spoke in an almost inaudible mumble, as if not really realizing that he had asked his question out loud, "Should we try to find a way back to RL, however...?"

That made him pause. Momonga asked a good question. A really  _loaded_  good question.

 _Did_ Adalbert want to return?

He has been relying entirely (emotionally and mentally) on his 10 years older brother since the passing of their parents. And then clinging (almost possessively) onto Momonga after the death of his best friend.

So, was there anything, anyone else, to return to?

The answer was unsurprising when the word  _NO_ came to the forefront of his mind.

"If... If that is what you want," Adalbert chewed on his bottom lip, not knowing how to convey his feelings into words, "Whatever your choice is, I'm always on your side, anija. But... before you make such an important decision, ask yourself this; what do we have to return to? Who do we have to return to?

"We're both workaholic loners. No RL friends, only online ones. If I had been the only one who was brought here... I would,  _definitely_ , try to find my way back to you. However, you are here with me, anija. I don't care where we are now.  _You_  are my  _home_. So whatever decisions you make, I will follow anija anywhere."

Momonga was silent, gazing at the still bickering Aura and Shalltear, but not really paying attention to them.

"Is that so..." The undead finally murmured, "I suppose if you are happy and willing... I would... Like to remain here. It is as you say, otouto, we have nothing there. Without you, I would have undoubtedly led a very boring life."

Adalbert nudged his oversized brother to show his support, "Then it's decided! We'll stay. With all of our mates' NPCs! A giant family full of abnormal races~"

"Mm. On the off chance, otouto, do you reckon that anybody else, a Player or one of our guildmates, have also been transferred along with us? Just not within the walls of Nazarick?"

"Aa, I don't know, anija. Maybe we can search them out and attack first? It'll be beyond troublesome if one of our enemy guilds followed us here."

"Mm. Something to think about."

"Definitely. If we have foes, we should rid of them quickly, anija. So that we can spend the rest of our time in leisure."

"Your way of thinking still amuses me greatly, otouto. How did you phrase it again...? 'One needs to be fast to be lazy' or something along those lines?"

"It works, doesn't it?"

"Strangely enough, it does. For  _you_ , anyway."

It was then that their conversation was interrupted by a stern, no-nonsense, and masculine voice.

"What. A. Ruckes... You. Two. Are. Fooling. Around. Too. Much. In. Front. Of. Our. Lords," Cocytus appeared and halted the duo's squabbling, the Vermin Lord's heavy footsteps growing louder as he grew closer.

Seeing that this was not the time nor place to have a discussion about how he lives his life, Adalbert turned his attention to Cocytus and took in the sight of the Floor Guardian, appreciating the strong voice and the free-will of Warrior Takemikazuchi-sempai's creation.

"This shorty slandered me! I won't stand for it!" Shalltear's smile was pure evil as she waved her arms around, her hands covered in a ball of fire and the heat high enough to distort the air around it.

"I'm just telling the truth! You fakeboobs!" Aura threw back just a fiercely, the whip in her hands cracking ominously.

"W-what did you just call me?!"

"You heard me, fakeboobs!"

"You. Both...!" The Ice Warrior's temper flared at their blatant dismissal of his words, the ground near him turning to ice.

Before all of their attacks could clash, however, Momonga's voice boomed, "That's enough!", his Despair Aura flaring. It made all of the NPCs come to a screeching halt, which was the main purpose of Momonga's interference.

Adalbert could read from just his Momonga's body language, the soft-hearted big brother didn't want their guildmates' personal NPCs to harm one another. It was a sentiment, Adalbert, too, share.

"Shalltear. Aura. That's enough playing around."

"I apologize!" The two bowed as they apologized in a hurry, not wanting to annoy the Overlord any further.

"You've come, Cocytus."

"I. Shall. Always. Respond. Immediately. To. Your. Summons. Momonga-sama," Cocytus answered deferentially.

"We appreciate all the work you've done on our behalf, Cocytus," Adalbert inserted whilst he leaned his full weight on the sniper rifle he had just extracted from his Item Box for this exact purpose - a cane for holding him upright.

This wasn't his primary weapon, but simply an everyday sniper rifle (in the shape of a Barrett .50 cal) sprayed in majestic gold with an extra long barrel, durable enough to hold his entire weight and lofty enough to make it seem like a good intimidation tool.

"I. Live. To. Serve," He then exhaled a blast of cold air, as if bashful. His obvious attempt to hide his shyness was simply  _adorable._

"I apologize for making you all wait, Adalbert-sama, Momonga-sama, everyone," Demiurge spoke politely and respectfully from Albedo's right as the two made their way over.

He hummed softly under his breath as he carefully examined the Arch-Devil, his eyes drinking in the sight. Demiurge, unlike the other NPCs present, was a creation Adalbert had a heavy hand in.

Ulbert and Adalbert had been best friends even before YGGDRASIL went online. They were both deeply-rooted chuuni - hence why they clicked instantly upon their very first offline meeting.

In fact, they had gotten along so well that they had planned on starting a family together IRL. Since they were both aromantic, they had discussed being platonic partners for life and raising a few IVF children in their old age. Demiurge was a product of their bond.

It could be said that if Ulbert was Demiurge's father, Adalbert would be the Floor Guardian's godfather. So if he favored this one out of the rest, could he truly be blamed? Though not exactly the only one he favored since he still has his own 'son' and 'nephew', but yeah.  _Could he be blamed for paying extra attention to this particular one?_  Definitely not.

Especially after Ulbert's-

He immediately cut that train of thought and shifted his gaze away from the Arch-Devil, his heart clenching in grief and sorrow.

When the two NPCs finally arrived, they all lined up in front of the two Players, who now stood on a slightly elevated platform. Demiurge was at the most left next to Mare, who was beside his sister Aura, standing next to Cocytus, and Shalltear at the most right with Albedo in the middle.

"Now, everyone. To our Supreme Leaders, the ritual of fidelity," Albedo said strongly.

That made his eyes refocus on the NPCs, inwardly confused but not about to show it.

{Anija... What's going on? What 'ritual of fidelity'? Does this involve blood and sacrifices? Or a script that you've conveniently left out?}

{I suspect 'tis but a simple oath, otouto. Try not to fumble too badly. We do need them to see us as someone worthy of their loyalty.}

Was the semi-amused and semi-serious reply. The wanker.

Before he could complain more, Momonga's Despair Aura suddenly heightened.

Similar to a duckling waddling after its mother, Adalbert's Desolate Aura flared to match the Overlord's, creating something almost crushing to their surroundings. The NPCs' breaths visibly hitched at the combination of their auras.

"Raise your head, Guardians," Momonga began, his deep baritone authoritative, "You all did well to gather here. I am grateful for your obedience. Thank you."

"Your gratitude is wasted upon us, Momonga-sama," Albedo gave a pretty yet humble smile, before she continued with seriousness, "We have all gathered to prostrate ourselves to you, to pledge our entire being to Our Lords. You may find us still lacking. However, we vow to work hard and live up to the expectations of the Supreme Beings who created us. We offer our complete devotion to you, Our Lords!"

"We vow this to Our Lords!" The other Guardians repeated solemnly, their expressions showing their utmost sincerity at their spoken words-  _vow_.

{Do you see it, otouto? This... this is the fruits of everyone's efforts!}

{Aa... I do.}

"Wonderful, Floor Guardians!" Momonga widely spread his arms. If he still had a face, he would be grinning madly right now, the role of a domineering Overlord having surfaced, "I am confident that you will all fulfill your duties without a margin of error! That you are all cable of understanding my beliefs and accomplishing them without fail! My otouto, without a doubt, shares my sentiments."

At the blatant passing of a curveball, Adalbert bit back a 'troublesome older brother' and straightened, now propping his sniper rifle on his shoulder.

He then spoke, trying to match his brother's joyful and commanding resonance but failing spectacularly at it, his tone coming out flat and monotonous, much to his chagrin. Hopefully, even if his tone suggested otherwise, the Floor Guardians would not think his words spoken any less truthful.

"Aa, indeed. None of you will disappoint us. I have full faith in all of your abilities to execute to our expectancy." And even if they do fail in something, Adalbert would not care. Everyone has weaknesses. Nobody was perfect. They could always learn from their mistakes.

 _... But could they really? Are their settings fixed or are they able to adapt now that they have gained self-awareness?_  Something to bring up to Momonga in the future.

The Floor Guardians visibly preened at their words. And then anija had to go and ruin their moment like the jerk he was.

Aa, he wished they could continue this another day. Or, at the very least, wait until the sun has risen? Dear All-Father did he feel eternally exhausted... He should've chosen to become an undead. He doubted they needed to sleep as much as he apparently did.

"Excellent. Now then, we have another matter to discuss. Right at this moment, it appears that Nazarick is caught in an unknown situation," That made all of the Guardians - Albedo and Demiurge especially - pay extra attention to Momonga.

 _Any person who dared bring danger to the Tomb and the Supreme Beings shan't be spared,_  was probably the collective thoughts of the Guardians right now, Adalbert mused almost fondly.

"It has come to my attention that the All-Father did not follow through His final words. And any contact with Him has been forcefully severed. Hence, we are completely blind to our circumstances at this point in time. I have sent Sebas out to scout our surroundings, hopefully, to prove some of my suspicions false," On cue, the Dragonoid Butler stepped out from the shadows and bowed before joining the other Guardians, "Sebas. What have you found?"

"We are surrounded by grasslands, My Lord. Nothing but flatlands surrounds the Great Tomb of Nazarick. It is completely different from the swamps. I and Lupusregina could not confirm a single building, man-made structure, or life forms that did not include animals, within a one-kilometer radius."

"... It is as I suspected." Momonga murmured with a hand on his chin, "The grass... Are they sharp and stiff? Do they bring damage to you when you walked through?"

"No, My Lord. They appear and feel normal."

"I see. Good work, Sebas. It seems that my theory has been proven true," Momonga and Adalbert shared a glance, "It seems Nazarick has been transported to an unknown land-  _no_ , an unknown  _World_ , for reasons entirely unclear. This is not the YGGDRASIL we know. The All-Father's presence is absent. Adalbert and I have tried futilely to reach out to Him, but to no avail. However, we will make do."

"Momonga-sama. Pardon this lowly one's interruption," Albedo spoke, looking hesitant for a second before she bulldozed through, "But I remain ignorant and ill-informed as to why you both, the greatest Supreme Beings, would lower your status by referring to someone else as the  _All-Father_. Is there any Being that could possibly be higher than you? I dare not believe it! Even to speak of such words... I sincerely apologize for my blasphemy!"

Albedo could not prostrate herself any lower, her expression one of despair, as if she had committed something shameful and equally as sinful.

Although he felt uncomfortable at her groveling, Adalbert couldn't blame her for reacting as such. To the NPCs, the members of Ainz Ooal Gown were their Gods and Goddesses - their creators.

To have their beliefs...  _questioned_... might be difficult for them to accept. He exchanged a glance with Momonga, the two of them throwing each other the invisible ball. When he blinked, his childish older brother gave him a look that screamed 'hah, you blinked!'.

The bastard conveniently forgot he was a skeleton and  _didn't need_  to blink. With an inaudible sigh, he admitted defeat, balanced the sniper rifle on the ground and leaned heavily against it.

"Raise your head, Albedo. Your question was not an act of sacrilege," He stated bluntly whilst blinking half-lidded eyes on her downed form, waiting patiently until she followed his command (whilst simultaneously ignoring her apologies), "The All-Father is the  _creator_  of YGGDRASIL. Without Him, there is no us. Without us, there is no you. Therefore, He is called as such. But due to our current...  _situation_ , you need not worry about Him. Do you understand, Albedo?"

"I understand, Adalbert Cross-sama! Thank you for answering this lowly one's preposterous question."

"I am confident that no question you ask shall ever be asinine. Never hesitate to ask for verification. By asking questions, you grow in knowledge. And by growing, you become of further use to Nazarick. Good work, Albedo."

"I, I am unworthy of your praise, My Lord!" Despite her humble words, The Guardian Overseer was blushing furiously with sparkling eyes, which made him smile behind his mask. They were all so adorable. Like children. Or puppies.

"Splendid," Momonga, the prat, re-inserted himself back after the bothersome explanation was done, "Demiurge. As the defensive Commander, you will work with Albedo to create a stronger information network to fortify our defenses. Floor Guardians, raise the alert level by one on every Floor. Inform your respective Area Guardians of what has occurred and organize your own strategic conferences. Also, all possible raiders are to be taken  _alive_ and sent to Neuronist Painkil."

"Yes, My Lord!" They all chorused.

Next, it was Adalbert that issued an order, although his eyes didn't remain on the person he was speaking to for more than a second, "Aa, Demiurge. I'll expect you to inform both Pandora's Actor and Victim. They'll know what has to be done for their defenses afterward. And please, consider sparing a few of your Evil Lords for Victim's protection."

"Yes, of course, Adalbert-sama. It shall be done." The Arch-Devil thankfully agreed with Adalbert's selfishness without any fuss, the sharp V smile never once leaving his lips.

Adalbert nodded in satisfaction before he tilted his head slightly towards Momonga as an indication that he was done. His brother took the cue and continued as if he had not once stopped talking. At times like these, he often wonders if the Overlord loved to hear the sound of his own voice.

"Mare. With your expertise, can you find a way to conceal the Great Tomb of Nazarick from prying eyes?"

The Dark Elf appeared hesitant, plagued by self-doubt, but he did give an answer, "It would be difficult with just magic alone. But, if we can cover our walls with dirt and conceal it with vegetation...-"

"You intend to soil the glorious walls of Nazarick with...  _dirt and vegetation_?" The Guardian Overseer had a sneer on her face, abhorring the suggestion completely.

"Your remarks are unnecessary, Albedo. Keep your mouth shut and allow Mare to finish. Do not interrupt the person I am having a conversation with - I will not tolerate such disrespect," Yikes. That was Momonga's 'listen to your older brother, you insufferable brat' tone. Only used when Adalbert got  _really_  lazy and was on the verge of being disciplined. Horribly.

"I am terribly sorry, Momonga-sama! It shan't happen again." She bent her head lower.

"See that it doesn't. Mare, is it possible?"

"Y-yes. As long as My Lords allow it. However..."

"Mm. In addition to the area being a flatland, it would be highly unnatural with simply one mound. Sebas, what would happen if we add in dummy hills to the area? Will it heighten or lower suspicions? Will it suffice?" Momonga turned to Sebas with a hand on his chin - a classic thinking pose.

The Butler nodded, "I believe that we would blend right in with such a surrounding."

"Excellent. That is what we shall do. Mare, add in illusions to the areas we cannot hide."

"Y-yes, My Lord. It will be done."

"And lastly," His dear brother gave a rather dramatic pause. Adalbert felt like he was falling asleep on his feet at the rate this  _meeting_  was going, "There is a question I would like each of you to answer truthfully. First, Shalltear, in your own words... Tell me, what kind of person am I to you? What kind of person is Adalbert to you?"

That made Adalbert lean forward in interest. He wondered if the reason Momonga asked them this question was to see if they would follow their lore religiously or have personal opinions based on experiences. If it was the latter, the two Players could assume that the NPCs were not stagnant and could develop like other sentient lifeforms, which would be amazing but  _dangerous_ (especially if it concerns their loyalty and faith towards Momonga and Adalbert).

"You are beauty incarnate, Momonga-sama," She answered immediately, her cheeks flushed and her eyes gleaming with unholy desire, "There is not a thing living or undead that could ever compare to your radiance."

She then turned to him, the color had faded from her cheeks, but her tone still held a deep reverence, "Adalbert Cross-sama is the definition of alluring. I can hardly remain upright at Your Lordship's beguiling ambiance."

"Cocytus." Momonga and Adalbert turned (almost too quickly) to the Vermin Lord in question, the both of them feeling more than a little perturbed at Shalltear's vision of them, Momonga more so than him. At least he was 100% sure the vampire was a necrophilic just by those words alone - Peroron-sempai was truly too wretched in his pervertedness.

"Momonga-sama. Is. A. Man. Unrivaled. And. Strength. Unmatched... A. Worthy. Ruler. of. The. Great. Tomb. Of. Nazarick." The Fifth Floor Guardian turned to Adalbert, "Adalbert Cross-sama. Is. The. Greatest. Champion. In. Muspelheim... I. Admire. Such. Might. And. Power."

Straightforward and casual facts. Admires strength above all. As expected from one with a warrior-like setting.

"Aura."

"Momonga-sama is compassionate and benevolent," She then turned to Adalbert, "Adalbert Cross-sama is unselfish and considerate."

Adalbert's gaze remained on Aura for a second longer before his eyes shifted to the younger twin. His thoughts were turning at her words.

"Mare."

"A kind leader that is merciful to his subjects," His cheeks were tinted slightly in red as he smiled adorably at Momonga, before turning to Adalbert, eyes sparkling in an almost hero-worship, "A caring person who values loyalty above all."

Again, he could not help but gaze at the twins in contemplation, the (spiderweb-covered) cogs in his brain working in overdrive as he tries to figure out why exactly there was a nagging sensation at the back of his mind, pulling at him like an obstinate child.

Had Bukubuku-sempai added Momonga's and Adalbert's natures into her creations' settings? It seemed highly unlikely, yet here they were, showing how aware they were about the brothers' temperament.

"Demiurge."

"You are wise in your judgment, Momonga-sama, making rational decisions and acting upon them in an efficient manner without any form of hesitation. Also, My Lord's enigmatic nature makes it nigh impossible to predict your next move," Demiurge then turned to Adalbert, an expression flashing across his face but he schooled it too quickly for Adalbert to discern, "A sagacious man, the Supreme Being who brought half of me into existence."

That was...  _Interesting_.

How, exactly, did Demiurge even know of his involvement?

Officially, it was all Ulbert who created and customized the Arch-Devil. Adalbert only bounced ideas whilst Ulbert did the settings. Other than a few imported Skills and characterization (their matching tails and wings), he didn't really do much to  _'bring half of him into existence_ '.

"Sebas."

"Momonga-sama is the head of all the Supreme Beings. Adalbert Cross-sama is his most trusted advisor. And despite the other creators having left us, both My Lords have mercifully stayed behind until the very end, even at the risk of disappearance by the  _All-Father_ 's uncharitable plan."

... Again,  _interesting_. Those choices of words were  _very_  interesting indeed.

Sebas seems to have known of their plans to remain until their avatars were erased together with the NPCs at the very end when YGGDRASIL's server closed down. But, again,  _how_? It wasn't possible for Touch Me-senpai to predict such a thing and add that into Sebas's settings.

"And lastly, Albedo. What do you think of us?"

"Momonga-sama is the pinnacle of the Supreme Beings. Our ultimate master and the Lord of Nazarick... As well as the man whom my heart belongs to!" At her proclamation of love, Momonga took half a step back in unease, much to Adalbert's ever-growing amusement.  _Every action has its consequence, dear brother,_  he inwardly cackled in glee.

"Adalbert Cross-sama is a man worthy of the title as one of the Lords of the Seven Deadly Sins, Lord Sloth, a World Champion,  _no_ , a  _World Enemy_! Our, Nazarick's, greatest pride!"

Alright. He was  _definitely_  sure her lore did not include his 'fame' in YGGDRASIL. Tabula-sempai couldn't have been  _that_  bored, right? There was  _definitely_  something fishy about all of this.

He was downright  _baffled_  at how the Floor Guardians (and Sebas) knew so much about his and Momonga's (established roleplaying) personality, mannerism, and reputation. It was as if they were sentient and self-aware even back then in YGGDRASIL.

But that was  _impossible_ , right?

They couldn't even talk, let alone move without specific instructions. He was simply over thinking, right? Of course. He was just thinking too much. It must be the lack of sleep. Definitely.

He decided to leave these info dumps for another day. His brain felt too sluggish and he was already making plans to go sightseeing as a form of distraction.

"Very well. I have a sufficient understanding of your thoughts. Go attend to your duties and work faithfully in Nazarick's name."

"Yes, My Lord!"

Momonga, the  _complete bastard_ , teleported away without even a word of warning, leaving him behind looking like a total retard who didn't understand his cue to leave. This must be a punishment of sorts, though he didn't understand what he did wrong this time.

How very troublesome.

"Aa, strive to be ever loyal, Guardians. Sebas, before I leave, allocate a servant to clean up my bedchamber."

"Understood."

"Thank you,"He waved nonchalantly as he reigned in his Desolate Aura and teleported to First Floor.

His brother wanted him to test his skills, right?  _Well_ , alright. He would do so.

After a walk, that was.

He needed to clear his mind to be able to shoot in his best condition, after all.

* * *

**Latest Update: Adalbert's Chara** **cter** **Sheet**

=Gunner (10)

=High Tamer (10)

=Beast Tamer (5)

=Conqueror of Shadows (5)

=Deadeye (5)

=Shapeshifter (5)

_=World Champion (5) *****_

=Etc (2)

* * *

**Sin of Sloth Skill(s)**

**=Desolate Aura l:** Has a chance of causing Slow. Slow refers to an abnormal status of being weighted by gravity, which inflicts a penalty to all movement. Besides the decrease in speed and reaction time, it could reduce the AGI of its victims.

 **=Desolate Aura ll:**  Has a chance of causing Pressure. Pressure is a more severe version of Slow, caused by the stacking of additional Slow effects. Anyone afflicted by this status will have the gravity tenfold and their mentality affected by bleakness ― in other words, they will be unable to flee or take any close combat-related actions against the user.

 **=Desolate Aura lll:**  Has a chance of causing Immobility. This can only happen when the target does not have any recovery measures prepared.

 **=Desolate Aura lV:**  Has a chance of causing Incapacitate. Incapacitate is an extremely annoying status effect, being a permanent version of Immobility. It could not be removed without magical aid from a third party.

 **=Desolate Aura V:**  Has a chance of causing Instant Catatonia. It causes permanent disability in movements, reaction time, thinking process, and a disturbed mental state. Suicide risk is at 99% for those affected by this abnormal status.

Trivia:

***** Normally, Desolate Aura alone would not have much of an effect on level 100 NPCs, but when integrated with Momonga's Despair Aura (when he is equipped with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown), it makes a deadly combination of despair, bleakness, and heaviness. If the Guardians were weak-willed (which they aren't), they would have probably frothed at their mouths and had a seizure or something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The canon will diverge starting from the next chapter! ୧⍢⃝୨ But rest assured, I won't shy away from the really important ones that make Overlord... Overlord! 
> 
> I seriously cannot thank you all enough for all the positive feedback! I was seriously touched by the comments I received... and downright happy that I am not the only one who notices the lack of GEN fics in the Overlord comm that are MaleOC centric. I'm also ecstatic to know that you all like Adalbert as a character - MY SON IS POPULARRRR!!! ༼ ಥ ‿ ಥ ༽
> 
> _Revised: 09 February 2019_


	4. Chapter 4

Covering his tracks and leaving the Tomb with no one the wiser was a piece of cake for someone like him, who prioritizes in dexterity, agility, and stealth rather than brute strength.

Momonga would not notice Adalbert's absence anytime soon, too busy with formulating plans and contingency plans for his contingency plans in order to ensure Nazarick's highest chances of survival in this New World. The denizens of Nazarick, as well, would remain oblivious to his disappearance, the assumption of him, a Sloth Demon, currently having a power nap was high.

Speaking of naps, he should probably take one soon after his walk.

His avatar- no, his  _body_  was beginning to protest at all the unnecessary activity he was putting it through. Thankfully enough, he finally came across a forest with a relaxing atmosphere. He continued to traverse through it for a couple of minutes until he was satisfied, having found the perfect spot for a nap.

Stifling a yawn, Adalbert scaled the tallest tree and made himself comfortable on its highest branch. With the butt of his sniper rifle tucked in between his propped legs and its barrel rested against his collarbone, he hugged the weapon loosely and stargazed.

Much to his awe, the scenery was unlike the World of 2138 with its many pollutions. The night sky above was clear of smog, revealing a river of stars, more beautiful than anything he could have ever imagined - even better than the Sixth Floor's meticulously made ceiling. An ideal Earth, one that has never been harmed by modernization. He suspects that if Blue Planet-sempai were here, he would be beyond thrilled.

As Adalbert's eyelids drooped, he reached upwards, as if that would be enough to grasp the twinkling stars and bright full moon above. He so dearly wanted to pluck them from the heavens and keep these beautiful things locked inside his Item Box.

It was too bad he couldn't enjoy this otherworldly sight with  _that person_.

* * *

The very first thing he did upon awakening was to remove his mask and trade it for a slab of biltong (a consumable used to increase stamina rate for 10 minutes). The thick and dried meat was sluggishly nibbled on as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, slightly confused as to what had woken him up. It wasn't something physical, but rather, a gut feeling.

Or perhaps he was just hungry.

Whatever.

As he continued to sate his hunger, he lazily surveyed his surroundings as a precaution, though he became distracted by the rising sun not a second later. The giant ball of fire made the whole sky be blanketed in an artistic shade of orange, the imprint strong in his mind. The wildlife around him was still in a state of inactivity, not even the birds were awake to issue their morning calls.

It was at this point in time that his superior sixth sense was made aware of 46 different life forces slowly heading towards his general direction, all of them vastly heterogeneous from any of the Nazarick denizens. Before those life forms could be seen, the noises they made whilst they traversed the forest could be heard, growing louder with every step they took.

 _'ETA five minutes'_ , his instincts informed him.

The crunching of dry leaves and twigs were grating to his sensitive ears, but he endured and discerned that they were bipedal and probably human - whether they were primitive or otherwise could not be determined by footsteps alone, however.

When they finally entered his sights, Adalbert could not resist from double-taking.

A group of humans appeared, wearing black robes and...  _extremely_   _hideous_  bucket-like helmets. And this was the opinion of someone who has long been desensitized to grotesque avatars and weird fashion styles of the gamers.

Do the buckets, no,  _helmets_  even have any benefits other than defense? In fact, did it not obstruct the vision more than help protect the wearer?

Adalbert calmly devoured the last of his biltong and secured his mask back in place, before meeting them halfway via tree branches.

Usually, he would have ignored some random strangers and continued to sightsee, however, they were the first ever organisms to have appeared before him in this New World, so of course, he was curious about them.

As he stood above the group, he scanned them from head to toe. It was not difficult to figure out who the leader was - a blonde, middle-aged man with a scar on his left cheek. It was only him who did not wear those unattractive bucket-like helmets, a clear sign that he was ranked higher than those around him.

"Hey," Adalbert's pointed ears twitched at the voice, his eyes flickering towards the whisperer. The human was leaning slightly nearer to their pal as they spoke, "Do you smell that?"

The one who was asked that questioned tilted their chin upwards as if to sniff the air from beneath their bucket-helmet. After a few seconds, the person gave a jerky nod.

"Flowers? No, sweets?"

"I was thinking of meat, actually. Rotten meat," The first person said, voice bewildered as they looked around for the source, "Should we inform Nigun-sama?"

The second person was quiet for a moment before they replied, "No. The plants and wildlife here are many. We probably passed by a fragrant bush or an animal having a snack."

"... I still think there's something wrong."

"Maybe you're just hungry?"

"Thanks a lot. I was trying hard not to think of that. Now my stomach's in pain."

"What a baby. Just hold on a little longer. We'll be hunting breakfast soon."

Adalbert's lips curled downwards as the two continued to converse silently, his cheeks flushing slightly at their idle commentaries.

He brought a hand to his nose and sniffed self-consciously, hyperaware that all Sloth Demons emanate a scent that the game described as 'pleasant and unpleasant at the same time'.

Damn devs and their inability to decide one thing from another.

One of the most infamous racial attributes in YGGDRASIL was Somnolent Miasma. It was reputed to be useless in the eyes of all the Players, despite the many people who determinedly experimented with it, trying to find a positive among the many negatives - they failed, of course. Many gossiped about the downright lazy nature of the developers for half-arsing this particular passive.

Somnolent Miasma works only on enemies, both Players and monsters alike. Basically, the shitty passive skill causes others to have slower reaction speed and put adversaries to sleep. It may sound overpowered and badarse, but truthfully, it was worthless.

Why was Somnolent Miasma impractical, you may ask? Easy. It would only affect the opponents after an immeasurable amount of time. The determinants in play would be the level of the foe, their resistance stat, their race, their equipment, and many other troublesome contributing factors.

During a PVP, nobody would be foolish enough to drag their duel when against a Sloth Demon. And when someone experimented on this useless passive, they informed the forums that the minimum time it took for Somnolent Miasma to actually be activated was half an hour.

Principally, everybody soon wrote this passive off as a 'fun fact' those shitty devs made for the sake of attributing a racial trait. Just like how Wrath Demons were given the lore of having high burst damage as their racial attribute, making them an excellent choice for a Berserker.

In order to combat that utterly useless passive, Sloth Demons, thankfully, have another racial passive that made them have a high regeneration rate (the Players would've otherwise complained endlessly).

This made them good tankers, but, of course, Adalbert hated stereotypes so he made his avatar the fastest  _sloth_  to have ever graced YGGDRASIL.

But that was a story for another time.

Now... He distanced himself from the group until they weren't able to  _smell_  his Somnolent Miasma - which was estimated to be about half a football field in length ( _no wonder the animals were all dead asleep despite the sunrise_ ). In this New World, it seems that his Somnolent Miasma has quite the potential to be quite the formidable passive if used correctly.

Being an assassin and a spy, there were many ways to abuse this racial attribute of his. He could simply sit on top of a roof and wait until the people inside the building fall asleep... then kill them. Or steal treasures. The possibilities were endless. However, the people in this world would have no need to worry about him. Sleep and sightseeing was pretty much the only thing on his mind right now. Oh, and discovering new things.

He was, soon enough, brought out from his musings when he saw this group of Magic Casters use 3rd Tier YGGDRASIL spells to kill a pack of wolves and prepared them for breakfast.

Adalbert preferred Momonga to do all the thinking for him, but since his dear brother wasn't here, that left him to ponder on the situation at hand. He felt that there were three assumptions for these humans to know YGGDRASIL spells.

First one, this was YGGDRASIL but in the past or future rather than the ingame-present. Second, was that this was an alternate world, similar enough to YGGDRASIL that the spells were coincidentally the same. Last hypothesis... The spells were taught by Players who had come to this world before Momonga and Adalbert.

He kept his mind open to further options, but for now, he believed that the third was the most accurate. If they were able to crossover to this New World, what to say others wouldn't?

With a sigh, he decided that he should head back and somehow relay this without giving away that he had sneaked out.

* * *

The moment he stepped into the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he allowed himself a moment to soak in all the buzz and level of activity currently present.

It has been such a long time since he saw so many living beings roaming the guild's hallways. Nostalgia made him soften his guard, his eyes closing as he pictured the footsteps to be his guildmates'. He relaxedly absorbed the positive feelings of his surroundings, his whole posture slackened as he leaned heavily against his sniper rifle.

"Adalbert Cross-sama. Pardon this one for intruding upon you, but may I ask if something is the matter?"

Adalbert jolted awake, having forcefully pulled away from his memories by the voice. When he turned his head to the left, it was to the sight of Sebas Tian. The professional butler was standing straight-back as he waited patiently for Adalbert's reply.

"Aa, Sebas. You need not pay attention to me. I am simply passing by," He stated monotonously.

"It is impossible to ignore your presence, my Lord," Sebas's eyes seemed to smile even as his face remained stoic, "Your bedchamber has been cleaned of bones. Will you be heading there now to sleep? If so, please allow this one to accompany you."

"Thank you. But no, I've already slept. Do you know where Momonga is currently?"

"Momonga-sama is in his office."

Probably busy with something. Adalbert didn't want to disturb him so early in the morning... Even if being an undead didn't require one to sleep, there was still something called common courtesy. No matter how much of a brat he was, his brother did raise him correctly.

"Then, Sebas, have you eaten breakfast yet?" At Sebas negative response, he smiled underneath his mask, "Would you care to join me at the Staff Canteen?"

"That... To eat in the Staff Canteen with your servants is... I dare not. Adalbert Cross-sama need not go there personally for a meal. Food can be brought up to your bedchamber whenever you call for it."

"I insist. Eating on my own is-"  _lonely_ "-boring. Would you refuse this request of mine, Sebas?"

He had asked that to tease the butler, but who knew the latter would react so strongly at his question. Sebas dropped to one knee as he bowed his head low, completely shocking Adalbert into silence.

"Absolutely not. Please forgive my impudence. Please punish me as you deem fit!"

... Aa, this was too intense. This kind of worship was too damn fierce. He couldn't keep up. Momonga... Save him, please!

"T-that isn't necessary. Rise, Sebas. If you aren't comfortable with eating with me, I won't force you to comply with my request."

"No!" Sebas, even though his face was stony, looked to be panicking as he hovered comedically over Adalbert's left shoulder, "That was not what this servant meant. It is of no greater reward than to be in your presence, my Lord. Please allow me to accompany you to breakfast."

Adalbert huffed out a breathy laughter, "Then let's go."

When they reached the Staff Canteen (he tactfully didn't teleport and walked alongside Sebas, though the latter walked half a step behind him), he raised his brow at the emptiness of the place. There was the kitchen staff, of course, but other than them, there was nobody present for breakfast.

Which was odd.

He could understand that the undead subordinates didn't require food to be able to function, but the rest of the Nazarick denizens very much needed to eat. As he walked over to get some grub, he turned slightly to Sebas to inquire about the lack of occupants.

"I believe that some are on high alert for intruders while others are busy with keeping the Great Tomb of Nazarick in optimal condition."

"... Do they not take breaks, Sebas?" Remembering how fervent Sebas and the Guardians were before, he quickly changed tactics, "In order to work their utmost best at keeping Nazarick safe, wouldn't neglecting their meals be counterproductive? The lack of energy might allow an enemy to bypass our security."

Sebas has a hand on his beard as he frowned in thought, "You are most wise, Adalbert Cross-sama. Shall I give them the order to never miss a meal?"

"Yes. Make sure everybody eats 3 meals a day at the very least. The Guardians included. If they are busy, allow one of the manservants or Homunculus maids to bring them their meals. Aa, and I'll need you to send Yuri Alpha down to the treasury for Pandora Actor's meals. Make sure it will be nobody else but her or Shizu Delta."

"Understood. It will be done." Sebas obediently answered.

He nodded when the kitchen staff greeted him and swiftly took a stack of pancakes to place on his tray. He didn't forget to request a jug of honey and a whole slab of butter. The way he ate his pancakes was to basically soak it thoroughly in honey and use an unhealthy amount of butter as a side dish.

Since all of the seats were unoccupied, he picked the closest table whilst Sebas sat on the opposite of him. The head butler was definitely a Dragonoid, his plate full of bleu steaks even for breakfast.

After they were done, Adalbert decided that it was late enough to pester his brother. Sebas followed along willingly, stating factually when questioned that attending to his masters was his sole reason for existing.

It was... pretty deep. So Adalbert decided to never bring up that topic ever again for fear of feeling overwhelmed.

"What are you doing, anija?" Was asked the second he entered his older brother's office and seeing Momonga making weird hand gestures in front of a floating wooden oval. Sebas walked over and stood by his brother's left, silent as a statue.

"I'm looking through the Mirror of Remote Viewing. How was your sleep, otouto?" Momonga replied distractingly as he continued to wave his hands in front of said mirror.

"It was pleasant. Are you searching for targets to PK?" He rested his chin against Momonga's tasteless shoulder armor to observe his brother's actions. He would've wrapped his arms around Momonga's shoulders and planted his cheek against his brother's to make himself more comfortable if it was possible, but irritatingly enough, the bulky equipment was in the way.

"Don't be an idiot. I'm testing its uses. If the Mirror works well in this New World, I'll be able to assign some subordinates to use this as a surveillance device to secure the area around Nazarick. Furthermore, we will be avoiding any direct confrontations for now."

"Why? It's not like the humans here are strong enough to oppose us." The group of 46 Magic Casters he met a few hours ago were proof enough. They were, at most, between the levels 20 to 25. It would be easy to squash them like the insects they are.

... Has he ever been this bloodthirsty or derogatory before?

Aa, whatever. Just another something that changed after having merged with his avatar - and even though he himself had been human once upon a time, just thinking about taking a life wasn't bothering him at all. A demon's temperament, no doubt.

"And how would you compare their strengths and weaknesses to ours - having not met them before, otouto?" The red orbs that acted as Momonga's eyes flickered over to him in suspicion, making Adalbert purposefully pretend to not see it.

"A gut feeling." Was his nonchalant reply, his monotone finally being of use.

"Usually when your gut feels something, it's hunger." Momonga mocked rather drily, causing Adalbert to pout from under his mask.

"Thank you for the vote in confidence, anija, but I've eaten. Oh, and before I forget. It seems nobody was using the Staff Canteen when I was there. So I told Sebas to order our people to have three meals a day at the least, lest they burn out from the lack of nutrition and rest."

"You did good, otouto. I believe you've passed the order, Sebas?"

"Indeed I have."

"Excellent. I want you to set up a flexible roster as well.  _All_ shall be allowed to have at least two days of relaxation in a week in order for them to be able to function at their most favorable. However, they are not allowed to leave Nazarick without my express permission just yet.

"Homunculus maids, manservants, butlers, and those without a singular position shall have a twelve-hour rotating schedule. As for the Guardians, Pleiades, and those with unique occupations, discuss with Albedo and Demiurge to perfect this scheme."

"Understood, Momonga-sama. It will be done shortly." Sebas brought a hand over his chest and bowed slightly as he accepted the orders.

Adalbert felt goosebumps on his arms.

Sasuga Momonga-sama.

It was pretty darn amazing (and scary) that Momonga, with just a few of Adalbert's choice words, realized that the NPCs were working  _too_  dedicatedly to unwind without being ordered to. He even made a plan to counter that self-destructive behavior of theirs within a split second. Knowing that they would not be satisfied with office hours due to their desire to prove themselves, a12-hour schedule would make them more compliant to the order.

Once more, he felt the urge to bow before this almighty big brother of his. The upgrade to Momonga's IQ was too damn fearsome.

When Momonga exclaimed happily at having finally figured out how to use the Mirror of Remote Viewing, the two Players saw a small village somewhat close to the Tomb. His older brother used his hands to zoom the view until they were able to clearly see the humans in the village. Sadly, they weren't able to hear anything since this wasn't the Mirror of Remote  _Hearing_.

"Are they playing a village-wide game of tag?" He murmured with a raised brow. Sebas bent his waist slightly to be able to see the view as well.

"I doubt any sane person would use a sword when playing tag, otouto." Momonga commented drily as he brought up a view of a man getting cruelly skewered by a sword, "They do not seem like bandits. One has to wonder why these soldiers are having a one-sided massacre - a lack of food supply or harvest does not appear to be the main cause."

{Are you alright, otouto? I don't want you to force yourself to see this if you feel sick.}

Adalbert closed his eyes and leaned his masked cheek against his brother's bony ones. His chest felt warm at the concern he could hear in his brother's voice.

{I'm fine, anija. It seems the -500 Karma points are playing a big part in making me an uncaring and  _Extremely Evil_ being. I suspect that you're calm as well at seeing humans being killed unjustly?}

{Indeed. But remember, whenever you need to talk - I'm here.}

{I know. Thank you, anija. The same goes for you.}

Momonga's phalanges patted him on the head for a couple of seconds before they both resumed watching the humans get killed one by one.

"What shall we do?" It was Sebas who broke the silence.

"Leave them be. I see no reason or profit to save them." The Overlord heartlessly said without a change of expression (not that his skull could show any expression, but, whatever).

"Understood." Sebas nodded once.

Adalbert saw his older brother pause as the undead looked at Sebas. Finally, after an unnerving amount of time, Momonga suddenly changed his mind. Adalbert has a suspicion. Due to Sebas being Touch Me-sempai's creation, Momonga favored the head butler and would not want to disappoint the Player and his NPC who would undoubtedly save anyone who needs it.

What was it again...? 'Saving someone who is in trouble is common sense!'?

The reason why he could remember such a chuni line after so long was because of his dear best friend.

Ulbert always complained about Touch Me-sempai's merciful ideals. They were polar opposites, yet the four of them, Momonga, Adalbert, Ulbert, and Touch Me, were always seen together. Sometimes, Adalbert would wonder if Ulbert was just being a tsundere since he would always watch Touch Me-sempai's back whenever they were doing a raid.

"Hm. Perhaps there are a few benefits to saving them. Sebas. Adalbert and I will be going to this village." Adalbert moved backward when his older brother pushed a palm against Adalbert's forehead and stood up, "Raise the security level of Nazarick to the maximum. Also, inform Albedo to join us, fully armed. Send in a dozen soldiers who are skilled in stealth and invisibility to surround the village."

"Understood."

Then Momonga faced him.

"I know that you're better at stealth and far range attacks, otouto, but leave those to the soldiers who specialize in them. I want you to be my back-up just in case, so stay near."

"Very well. Leave your back to me, anija." He answered with seriousness (whilst ignoring his monotone) and pulled out his primary weapon; a Windrunner M96 made completely out of diamonds. The guild's, Ainz Ooal Gown's, blacksmith put together this masterpiece, but unfortunately, it was stupidly named Daiyamondo by its creator.

Other than the tasteless name and gaudy appearance, it was one of the best Divine Class Item a sniper could ever wish to own. It took a whole year to craft since that black-bellied blacksmith took advantage of Adalbert's raiding skills to gather more materials and data crystals than wholly necessary.

Momonga, with an exuberant gesture, summoned the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown - another item that was beyond gaudy. Silently, in the secret confines of his mind, he wondered if all of their guildmates had no sense of taste (him excluded, obviously).

Seeing that Adalbert was ready as well, Momonga placed a hand on his shoulder and used Gate to transfer them to the village's border.

The second they stepped out of the Gate, it was to the sight of 2 soldiers in armor scared frozen and in the position to kill two little girls huddled on the ground just a few steps away from the two brothers.

Without a pause in his movements and showing no signs of hesitation, Momonga held a hand forward and stated almost bored, "Grasp Heart."

Grasp Heart was a 9th Tier magic spell that allows the caster to crush the heart of his victim, causing an instant death. In YGGDRASIL, if the target resists, they instead become stupified or stunned as a secondary effect.

The beating heart was squeezed mercilessly by sharpened phalanges, causing blood to gush out and trail down his older brother's skeletal hand.

"How weak."

{I would've made a tactical retreat if my favorite undead spell didn't work on the humans in this New World and if I felt sick after killing someone. Thank goodness it worked and I'm calm to continue...}

The cold and cruel tone, in contrast to the relief and sheepish tone, almost gave Adalbert a whiplash. He snorted in response, not knowing whether to laugh or cry - and scaring the living daylights out of the humans whilst calling attention to himself.

The pupils of the two girls were  _blown_  with terror at the sight of Momonga's skull and ribs and Adalbert's piercing, sclera black eyes and horns.

"M-monsters!" The soldier screamed in extreme fear as he pointed his sword at them... and then continued to scream wordlessly.

" _Uwaa_. You got called a monster, anija. Don't feel so bad - I assure you that your bone structure is considered handsome. The human simply has no appreciation of our beauty standards," He was amused as he balanced his weapon on his shoulder. His monotone made his words all the more funnier in his eyes.

"I believe he is referring to the both of us, otouto." Momonga replied drily, completely unamused, "And be quiet already. Your screams are ugly. Dragon Lightning."

The BBQ-ed and the electrocuted soldier died pathetically without even lifting a finger to defend himself.

"I actually find his screams to be quite pleasant."

"I'm not someone who thrives on schadenfreude like you."

Adalbert shrugged helplessly at the false accusation but felt too lazy to actually refute. Momonga then pointed at one of the corpses, "Create Middle Tier Undead, Death Knight."

A purple cloud of miasma appeared and entered the corpse's body. Within a second, it completely took over the corpse, causing it to twitch violently as it stood to its feet. Which was different from YGGDRASIL. Without considering the mass of the body, it changed into the usual, towering Death Knight from YGGDRASIL.

"Death Knight. Kill all the soldiers that are attacking the village." His brother pointed at the other corpse as a reference.

The Death Knight let loose a mighty roar filled with bloodlust and murderous intent before it sprinted in the direction of the village, leaving its summoner behind unguarded. The two brothers exchanged a look at that, the slight changes glaringly obvious but they said nothing out loud.

They soon turned their attention to the two girls still quivering on the ground, hugging one another as if their lives depended on it. Before either of them could say anything, Albedo stepped out from the Gate, which Momonga then closed after a split second.

"I apologize for the delay. The preparations took time." A fully armored Albedo apologized, looking dashingly handsome (woman or man, it didn't matter. She looked handsome in that armor. End of story).

"Not at all. Your timing is perfect, Albedo."

"Thank you very much. And so... What would you like me to do with these lower life forms?"

Uwaa. Harsh.

"For now, the ones wearing that armor are our enemy."

"Understood."

Momonga turned to the girls and pulled out a red potion from his robe, "It looks like you're injured. Drink this."

"I-I'll drink it! But my imouto-" The older girl with braided blonde hair stuttered, eyes fearful as she reached for the potion.

"Nee-chan! No!" The younger girl with chestnut brown pigtails cried out in denial and grabbed her older sister's wrist to physically stop the older of the two.

"Be quiet, Nemu!"

"But-!"

"Just stay still!"

"Please, stop!"

They soon started to quarrel about reluctantly drinking the potion or not, making the scene appear as if a gangster was coercing two innocent little girls into taking illicit drugs.

Shoulders trembling, Adalbert couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed out loud, eyes squinting in blatant amusement as he held his aching stomach.

"T-t-they,  _AHAHAHAAA_! It's like a cliche bully scene from an anime! With you,  _pfft_!, as the villain, anija! Y-you definitely,  _kyahaha_!, need to wear a mask!"

"..."

* * *

 

**Sloth Demon Racial Attributes:**

**=High Regeneration:** Increased regeneration rate. High Regeneration recovers health points within an extremely short interval of time, especially during periods of rest. As the Sloth Demon grows in level, this trait grows along with them.

Trivia:

*High Regeneration is useless if their HP is low enough to get 1 hit KO. This causes the majority of Sloth Demons to become tankers.

*It is only known to the devs and Adalbert that the race One True Devil gives this particular attribute a boost.

 **=Somnolent Miasma:**  Is a subtle fragrance (pleasant and unpleasant at the same time) that is emanated incessantly and worn like an invisible shroud by all Sloth Demons. It affects those around the demon in a gradual manner, which will end in a Sleep negative status effect. The effects vary from person to person due to the differences in levels and Resistance stat. Prolong exposure after Sleep has taken effect will result in Sopor, which can only be removed by magical means by a third party. [Does not work on any race which need not breath]

Trivia:

*Friendly Fire disallows Somnolent Miasma to affect their allies.

*Somnolent Miasma is one of the most useless passive skills in the game due to the unholy amount of time needed for it to work. No enemy would remain near a Sloth Demon for long periods of time unless suicidal. The miasma makes a good bug repellant.

*Players would joke that the developers got too lazy to come up with a better racial passive and added this for the heck of it.

*It is only known to the devs and Adalbert that the race One True Devil gives this particular attribute a boost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad that nobody is turned off by the reveal the last chapter. I was brutally prepared for my reviews to be filled with black comments and ball-aching words... But imagine my surprise that that wasn't the case at all! I'm super happy to hear that you are all loving Adalbert as a character despite everything ꈍ .̮ ꈍ I'm so shy~
> 
> Again, I can't express enough for the positivity that you are all giving to me! Thank you very much! +.(*'v`*)+
> 
> _Revised: 11 February 2019_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh. I had to redo this whole chapter due to FF's 503 errors... To be honest, I prefer to write in FF web's Doc Manager. So this is not my first rodeo with web freezes and unsaved docs. I was vigilant, though! However, I made a careless (author-killing) mistake. After having CTRL+A and CTRL+C the document, I saved it and without checking, switched to another tab to browse through cute images for inspirational purposes. Therefore, when I came across this insanely cute hamster photo, I... copied it on instinct. Then I panicked and quickly checked my fanfic tab... Hahaha... 503 error. Yes. I destroyed my whole chapter because I couldn't hold in the urge to copy hamster photos. What a mess. orz
> 
> Thankfully, I've already written a few drafts so I was able to salvage what little was left and made it work. 
> 
> ARRGGGHHH! I won't made the same mistake anymore! Really! That shall be the last time! Hmph hmph! (ಠ ∩ಠ)

The two humans appeared gobsmacked, their eyes wide and their lips parted as they stared dumbly at Adalbert, who was cackling like a lunatic as he leaned heavily against Daiyamondo, the weapon's gaudy diamonds twinkling as if it were laughing alongside its master.

Not even a few seconds after regaining his breath, he squinted his eyes at Momonga and, once again,  _howled_  at the sight of a bulky skeleton squatting dumbfoundedly in front of two little girls, a potion ( _illicit_ _drug_ ) in hand, as if he was tempting them into doing something felonious.

Oh, All-Father, his stomach  _ached_  so pleasantly at this comedic scene!

"Otouto," At Momonga's frostbite-inducing tone, Adalbert's mad guffaws were abruptly cut short. He didn't dare make a sound as he waited with trepidation for the Overlord to continue, "May I know what you find so hilarious, _du Drecksack_? Please, do enlighten me."

Adalbert winced. The second Momonga-ani starts to cuss (in any language), he knew he had gone too far. Time for a tactical retreat.

"Aa... N-nothing. Just something silly and not at all worth your time."

He cleared his throat and pretended to nonchalantly turn to the two terrified girls who were back to cowering at Momonga's icy and clip tone.

Not wanting to make this any more awkward, he took the potion from the skeletal digits and presented it to the blonde girl.

"'tis a potion. My benevolent anija has bestowed such a precious item to insects such as yourself. Be honored and drink to its last drop."

... Aa, that came out differently from what he had in mind.

The words from his brain to his mouth was somehow temporarily in discord... And why did he sound so disgusted and holier-than-thou rather than monotonous? Perhaps it was, again, his demon mentality that views weak things as not worthy of his attention?

But that shouldn't be the case.

There were many low-level NPCs living in Nazarick. However, he felt nothing but endearment and fondness for them. He needed to figure out all these changes within him before something unexpected happens - but he was a 'my pace' kind of guy, so this was ludicrous as it was troublesome.

After a few seconds of standstill, just as he was about to get impatient, the blonde human shakily took the potion and downed it in one go, her expression resigned as if expecting the worst.

"These lower lifeforms are such ungrateful little worms." He heard Albedo murmur loathingly under her breath as she clenched her fists around the staff of her halberd, hard enough to grind bones into dust.

Inwardly, he agreed with Albedo, thinking them rude to act in such an insolent manner when faced with another's kindness - completely forgetting to factor that they were in another world entirely, and thus, Heteromorphic races might've not been a common sight like back in YGGDRASIL.

Outwardly, he coolly turned away from the humans and pointed his sniper rifle towards the village. He turned a deaf ear to his brother who was questioning the older of the two humans whilst he peered into his weapon's scope, scanning the current situation of the village.

The Death Knight appeared to be having fun, skewering and slashing at the soldiers mercilessly, whilst the commoners were huddled in the center of the village, looking pale and close to fainting due to the gory scene.

"T-thank you very much for saving us!" Adalbert turned away from the charming scene to look at the blonde, who was now behind a greenish cacoon barrier and appeared close to kowtow-ing if not for the little girl in her arms, "Please! Please tell us the name of our savior."

"My name? Heh. You will do well to remember my name," Momonga flung his sleeves majestically, his bearing and grace were that of an almsgiving Emperor, "I am... Ainz Ooal Gown!"

... Huh?

Adalbert was stunned at the declaration but didn't rebuke his claims.

No matter what, Momonga-ani knew what he was doing. So Adalbert won't interfere unless necessary. Although he was deadly curious why Momonga took their guild name as his own, he set those thoughts aside for now since he could always ask at a later and more convenient time.

"Y-yes! I am forever grateful and in your debt, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama!"

Then, without even a change in body language, Momonga started to twist the two humans' memories with the memory-wiping magic, completely erasing his and Adalbert's inhumane features from their minds.

Soon enough, the three left the two dazed humans behind and traipsed silently through the forest, with Momonga leading the way, Albedo a step behind and to his left, and Adalbert directly to his right.

Adalbert was silent as he continued to look through the scope of his weapon, methodical reporting any changes once in a while. Logically, they would've been able to reach the village within seconds by using Gate (or running), but that would definitely scare the humans silly.

It was only when they reached the border of the forest did Momonga-ani raise a hand to halt their advances.

"We will need to disguise ourselves as humans, otouto. Albedo, you are fine as you are."

"F-f-f-fine?! I am  _fine_? Y-yes! Of course, I am! Thank you for such kind words, Ainz-sama!"

He has a feeling that Albedo purposely misunderstood his older brother's words, but he paid her no mind, more concerned about shapeshifting into a human. He knew how, of course, but he didn't  _want_  to.

His human form was weak, and even though the people here were beyond pathetic from what he has seen so far, his human form made him into - at most - a level 55 Player with many skills barred. His current demi-human form had already limited his level to 85, so to downgrade himself further was... unappealing.

But, at the very least, the silver lining was that his Somnolent Miasma would not work with that form of his - he was beginning to feel self-conscious whenever he heard Albedo take a sharp inhale when the wind blew to her general direction.

When he turned to his brother to reject the idea, he almost did a double take. Momonga was currently wearing the cursed item that every Player loathed; the Mask of Envy. His ribcage was also covered by his robes and his skeletal hands fitted inside a pair of gauntlets.

Momonga now appeared to be an eccentric styled Magic Caster-hermit hybrid.

As soon as Momonga turned to him, Adalbert's shoulders drooped in resignation. Those red orbs that acted as Momonga's eyes were dead serious and slightly impatient. Knowing when to admit his loss, he accepted his fate - albeit with much reluctance.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his restrictive human form. Within seconds, his horns retracted into his skull, his tail back into his tailbone, the color of his limbs fading to alabaster as his claws were sheathed, his sclera turning white, and lastly, his hair darkening to black until only a single silver streak was left.

He couldn't help but shudder at the sensation of his power levels dropping to an uncomfortable degree. Only when they stabilized did he release a breath of relief.

Afterward, he replaced his mask with a navy blue scarf (which hid the lower portion of his face), his weapon to a standard, Relic Class crossbow gun, and his equipment set to an all-black tracksuit with blue trimmings, the ends of his pants tucked into a pair of calf-high, armored heel boot.

The final touches in making him appear less intimidating and more innocent was a pair of thin-framed and oversized circular glasses.

Without further ado, they left the forest to greet their  _neighbors_.

* * *

After the domineering power play shown by Momonga's commanding of the Death Knight, they were showered with gratitude and led to the village Chief's home.

Adalbert was situated at the corner of their living room, his back against the wall as he fought to stay awake. Albedo stood straight-back next to him whilst Momonga-ani continues to gather intelligence from the Chief and his wife. He couldn't help but sigh as he slouched tiredly, wishing deeply for a bed right about now. It has already been more than four hours since he last slept - and it was killing him to stay awake.

"My Lord. Does anything trouble you? Do you require healing? Please allow me to help in any way I can." Albedo inquired softly, her voice showing her deep concern.

"Thank you, Albedo, but you need not worry. I am simply sleepy is all." He discreetly hid an ugly yawn behind his scarf as he answered truthfully. Although it was embaressing for others to know about his crazy sleeping schedule, he knew that the NPCs would understand it was mostly due to his race.

"Ahh! Yes, of course! Indeed, you are long overdue for a nap..." Despite not being able to see her expression, he knew for a fact that she was fretting, "Shall I retrieve some fabric for you, my Lord? I am quite skilled at sewing if I do say so myself... an ideal wife material for Ainz-sama~! Shalltear - that bitch - is lacking when compared to my many domestic talents-"

Albedo's voice turned a pitch higher as she derailed, spouting continuous praises about her compatibility with Momonga, whilst at the same time, dissing Shalltear.

Adalbert chuckled at her enthusiasm, feeling deeply amused at his older brother's plight. Well, at least having a bombshell of a lady fawn over him was something many heterosexual men would envy Momonga for.

As a self-proclaimed philocalist[1], observing beauties catfighting over a piece of meat (or a pile of bones in this case) was the best form of entertainment - even better than any 20th or 21st century's telenovela.

"Aa, there's no need. I doubt any of these insects could own even a decent enough piece of fabric for our use. Your sewing skills will only be wasted on them."

"Pardon me for having not realized that! Nothing outside of Nazarick could possibly be of use to you."

"Let's not go that far, Albedo. The world is vast. Who knows what treasures we might come across in the future? Always keep an open mind." Although he was being hypocritical if one were to recall his previous words.

"I shall remember your words of wisdom for all of eternity, Adalbert Cross-sama!"

Aa, how obedient and cute.

Adalbert couldn't help but soften, his half-lidded eyes gentle as he gazed at Albedo's armored form. His fingers twitched, an itch to pat her on the head was overpowering. But he swiftly shoved his hands into his pockets to prevent them from betraying him.

"Albedo, remain with...  _Ainz_ -ani. I'm going out for a walk." He needed to clear his head - it was slowly starting to muddle up due to the sleep fogging up his thought processes.

"B-But, my Lord! Your current form limits your immeasurable supremacy. Excuse me for speaking out of terms, but I feel uncomfortable with you walking without any guards! Please allow me to accompany you!" Albedo was quick to go on one knee, her actions catching the attention of the other three occupants in the house.

Adalbert, with much difficulty, resisted the urge to pull her up whilst shushing her.

"Is anything the matter over there?" Momonga asked, his voice deep and commanding with a hint of curiosity that could only be detected by those that knew him well enough.

"Nothing that is too concerning. Please pay us no heed, anija, and pardon us for interrupting your conversation."

"Hm. Very well. Then, Chief-dono, as you were saying-"

Seeing that Momonga was back to collecting this world's information from the two humans, Adalbert turned his attention back to Albedo, who was still on one knee.

"... Forgive me for raising my voice against you, Adalbert Cross-sama." Albedo apologized meekly, as if she felt she had sinned considerably and had regretted even opening her mouth.

"I forgive you. However, you will still remain by Ainz-ani's side. You are his right-hand."

"I am wholly dedicated and devoted to my beloved... and feel honored that Adalbert Cross-sama thinks highly of my mere existence to Ainz-sama. Regardless, to have you walk without any guards makes this servant of yours feel deeply restless. If anything were to happen to you, I will never be able to forgive myself!"

"Rise, Albedo," he sighed, feeling a headache build up. He didn't want to do this, but it seems that he would have to use her loyalty against her, "Do you believe these insects are good enough to wound me?"

Just as she was rising to her feet, she went back on her knee, her head bowed in a subservient manner, "I dare not! It's just..."

The trail off made his brows furrow and his lips curl downward. If only she had not added the last bit, he would've dropped the subject entirely. But now, he was frustrated.

"What is it? Am I not allowed to leave whenever I want, wherever I want? Are you treating me  _delicate_? Aa, it's true that I am incomparable to anija, but you dare compare me with these  _insects_?!" Even though he spoke as flat as an undead's cold and asystolic heart, it was clear that he was displeased.

To have his strength judged simply because he took on a human form was  _unpleasant_ and  _intolerable_.

It was not as if it disallowed him to revert back to his heteromorphic form. A few seconds was all it took for him to regain his full abilities. Undoubtedly, a few seconds might have been enough for a level 100 Player/NPC to end him, but these humans in this New World? They weren't worthy enough for him to even grace them with his original form - his current one was more than enough to  _squash_  them.

"I sincerely apologize for my impudence! I have wronged and angered you needlessly. Please, I humbly accept any punishment given! If my behavior has greatly offended you, I will gladly take my own life to repent."

At her servile apologies and lack of self-care, Adalbert felt disgusted with himself. She was one of his comrade's creation. How could he have made her even think about  _seppuku_? It just shows how lacking he was when compared to Momonga - he could never measure up to his understanding and caring older brother.

He was a failure of a  _Supreme Being,_ he bitterly spat in his heart.

"Enough, Albedo. Stand up. You were simply concerned - it is not a bad thing. Just don't overdo it." He stiffly patted Albedo's armored shoulder, circled around her, and exited the cottage.

He lowered his head the second he closed the front door, his brows furrowed in shame and self-hatred. Upon seeing Albedo's slumped shoulders through the window, he couldn't help but feel... like he had let his friends down. He was dissatisfied with himself. He should have said nothing and simply allowed her to silently shadow him.

Even if he was feeling irritable because of his lack of sleep and twice as lethargic due to the heavy restrictions placed on his levels, it was unjust of him to lash out at an innocent party - one that was only concerned for his safety.

Before he could go on and on about how much of a dickhead he was for taking out his frustration on her, his whole body slackened as he felt that everything was too darn troublesome and he just wanted to  _sleep the whole day away, dammit_.

Again, curse Sloth Demon physiology and psychology! At least allow him to beat himself up before making him feel like an apathetic miscreant.

Aa, whatever.

He walked leisurely around the village with his hands buried deep inside his pockets, idly observing his surroundings.

The majority of the adults were rebuilding their village, whilst the rest were tending to their injured. The elderly and children, however, were digging graves for those who had been killed during the massacre. From what his ears have picked up whilst strolling about, the dead needed to be buried as fast as possible to prevent them from turning into an undead.

At the release of a yawn, he decided that a short nap wouldn't hurt. He chose his  _bed_  to be the decently tall, wooden bell tower located at the center of the village.

Not caring about the curious eyes of the villagers, he climbed the tower and made himself comfortable. Sleep came easy for a demon who governs over sloth. He dreamt of a bittersweet past.

* * *

When he woke up, it was to a commotion below. The sky was already semi-dyed in an orange hue, indicating that it was near evening. Before he could get thoroughly distracted by the beautiful sight, he heard galloping and neighings coming nearer and nearer to his general direction.

He pawed his eyes for a few moments, chewed idly on a biltong, and dragged his heavy arse to the edge to take a closer look below. Due to the ungodly amount of restrictions placed on this current form, his five senses were terribly dulled (just like a human's!).

There were a bunch of newcomers, and judging from their demeanor, all of them looked to be foot soldiers - except for the one at the front. Their armors and crests, however, were different from the first batch of soldiers who terrorized this village.

"I am Chief Royal Warrior of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff," A muscular man with short trimmed hair and sharp black eyes stated whilst still seated on his mount, his features serious and tone firm, "I am under orders from the King to hunt down the knights of the Empire that have been wreaking havoc in this area by visiting all the villages."

The only thing Adalbert paid attention to from all of the muscular man's words was that he had unintentionally mixed up the label of knight and soldier. To differentiate a soldier and a knight was something far too laborious for a lazy person like him.

Aa, forget it.

He turned back to the conversation. The Chief Royal Warrior remained on his mount, and only jumped off his horse when he realized it was Momonga-ani who had saved the village from total annihilation.

It made Adalbert's lips curl in disdain.

Who was this insect who thought he was on the same level as Adalbert's heaven-defying older brother? Despite Ulbert constant teasing that Momonga was an unbeatable bro-con, Adalbert thought himself far worst. After all, Momonga was his only family left - the one who raised him and taught him everything.

No matter him being a Sloth Demon and Momonga being an undead Skeleton, they were brothers,  _family_  IRL, YGGDRASIL, and this New World.

That was why, no matter how absurd Momonga's requests and demands were, Adalbert would bend backwards in order to fulfill them all. He was nothing but filial - if that word could be used in this particular context. After being merged with his avatar, that had not changed one bit, or rather, they  _doubled_.

Demons may be evil and sinful creatures, but for those that belong to the guild Ainz Ooal Gown, they (and all the others) treasured loyalty above all. And Momonga, who was the guild master, had rightfully earned all of the guild members' trust and respect through his kindness and devotion to the guild.

"Thank you for saving this village. Mere words cannot fully express my gratitude." The Chief Royal Warrior's stone-cold expression did not change in the slightest and his tone of voice remained self-assured. However, his gratitude was genuine.

 _Ah_. It seems that Adalbert spoke too soon. He should wholeheartedly erase the last few minutes of his inner monologue.

If Momonga-ani had heard of his deepest (shallow and petty) thoughts, his older brother would've spanked him black and blue for judging someone based on their initial appearance, their way of speaking, their body language, and their tone of voice.

The guy (Gazef, was it?) was humble despite his stoicism. He knew when to bow his head and give his gratitude, and when to show his respect when it was due. It was only because of his unfriendly face that gave others a bad first impression of him.

All in all; he was a pretty likable guy.

It was too bad he was a human. Otherwise, Adalbert wouldn't have minded being friends with Gazef Stronoff. His currently merged self,  _apparently_ , still couldn't get over the fact that humans were considered insects when compared to a higher being such as himself - the blatant racism was making his head spin.

"Head Warrior!" One of Gazef's men came forward, bearing bad news, "Unknown figures have been spotted around this area. It seems they've surrounded this village and are approaching as I speak!"

"Ah." Without meaning to, he accidentally revealed himself via stepping on a figurative  _quagmire_.

Despite the soldiers - uh, sorry,  _knights_  - being the ones who pointed their swords at him whilst leaking KI, it was Momonga's stare that caused him to break into cold sweat.

"' _Ah_ '? And what do you mean by ' _Ah_ ', otouto?" Momonga's voice was as dry as the Sahara. He sounded as if he already knew the answer but still went out of his way to ask.

Adalbert laughed nervously at being found out.

With a helpless shrug, he finished the last of his stamina increasing snack and jumped onto the ground. Even if it was scary to be near a reprimanding Momonga, he needed to give his respects when it was due. No matter what, talking to his older brother whilst on a higher platform was considered impolite.

"I was just reminded about the 46 Magic Casters I've seen previously." Although his voice was flat, he answered obediently. He has, after all, never lied to his brother before. Omit facts? Yes. Change topics? Definitely. Straight out lying? No.

Despite being knowledgeable in the Art of Lying from a very young age thanks to Momonga-ani's teachings ( _"remember, otouto,_   _always speak the truth whilst also minding your phrases. This will allow you to achieve the optimal result of allowing others to voluntarily misinterpret your words. Another is to downright tell the truth, but in a manner that others would perceive as a lie. Those are the basics to becoming a great role player"_ ), he has never once used it against his older brother.

After all, he was not someone who would bite the hand that fed him. His brother raised him right.

"Why was I not informed?"

{Or better yet, did you sneak off to go sightseeing?! Otouto! Are you trying to worry me to death?!}

"I forgot." He monotoned. Inwardly, however, he winced at Momonga's hysterical bellow, feeling guilt stab him in the heart.

{N-no. I had wanted to test my Skills. I wasn't hurt or seen. I promise, anija. They were a group of level 20 Magic Casters - none strong enough to be able to harm me.}

He tried to reassure his older brother whilst also pacifying the Overlord's temper. It always made him nervous whenever Momonga appeared too serene. It was not a well-known fact that the calmer he was on the surface, the angrier he was in his heart.

Just like the calm surface of the wide ocean, it could nurture the worst calamity ever. Nobody knew if a maelstrom or a vortex lies underneath the deep waters.

{Test at the Amphitheater next time!  _Haah_... Forget it. You actually made my  _emotional suppression_ activate consecutively within the span of a minute. For an undead with muted feelings... if this was any other scenario, I would've been deeply impressed.}

{Thanks?}

Actually, now that he thought about it, he didn't quite manage to test his Skills at all - too busy with sneaking about and being self-conscious of his 'pleasant and unpleasant at the same time' body odor.

{That wasn't a compliment, _arschloch_! From now on, you'll have somebody to accompany you whenever you leave your room!}

Adalbert wisely kept his lips sealed at the face of his older brother cussing yet again.

He would rather not antagonize Momonga any further since it has already been proven time and time again that it was better to resign early and accept any punishment without mouthing out (no matter how frustrating it was to be treated like a child at this age). Today, he has already made Momonga angry a total of two times. If he continued... Cue shudder.

So yes. He would welcome the babysitter (whoever it was) with open arms. Besides, if it got too suffocating, he could always ditch the sitter.

"Sorry to interrupt," Gazef cut the brothers' staring contest short, much to Adalbert's relief, "But can you tell me everything you know about this group of - 46, was it? - Magic Casters?"

At Momonga's nod, Adalbert complied with the man's request.

"Hmph. Very well. However, I'll warn you beforehand that what I know are only considered the bare bones. I did not stick around." Again, the way he talked to a non-Nazarick being was harsher and colder, despite already deciding that Gazef was an alright guy.

The Head Warrior was indeed a good person. He did not take offense and only nodded, his eyes sincere as he acknowledged Adalbert's words. The other knights, on the other hand, all had faces of displeasure, deeply annoyed at his arrogant attitude, but kept their mouth shut, knowing that any information would bring them nothing but benefits.

"They can only perform up to 3rd Tier Spells from what I've gathered. They all wore black robes and bucket-like helmets. I did not see any crests or defining emblems that could identify them. However, their leader is a blonde man with a facial scar on his left cheek. Nigun, I believe. Because they were talking about religious things such as angels and whatnot, I grew bored and left."

Gazef was silent for a moment as he absorbed all of Adalbert's curt report. After a minute or two, he faced Adalbert squarely.

"The information you gave is more than enough to identify them as men from the Slane Theocracy. Only they could afford to send these many Magic Casters at once. And I know of Nigun. He's the Captain of the Sunlight Scripture - a special ops unit directly under the Head Priest. You have my gratitude. You are Gown-dono's otouto? Can I get your name?"

"It's Al."

He didn't know why, but he didn't want others outside of Nazarick to call him Adalbert. Only Momonga, his friends, and his friends' creations were allowed - nobody else.

"I've already heard yours so you need not bother re-introducing yourself." He also stated matter-of-factly, not wanting Gazef to repeat himself unnecessarily.

His words, however, seemed to anger the crowd of men behind Gazef - much to Adalbert's confusion. They started to 'whisper' angrily amongst themselves. Even with his dulled senses, he could plainly hear how they were belittling him, spouting nonsense like how he was 'disrespecting his betters'.

He scoffed at that, loud and clear, further fanning the flames in their heart. His conscience was clean, so he disregarded their scoldings. He only told Gazef to not repeat himself out of the kindness of his heart. If not for Momonga-ani's presence, he would've already ordered Albedo to  **slaughter**  them all with  _excruciating_   _slowness_.

On the other hand, Albedo's body language was pulled taut as she held herself back from dicing the men for daring to show such anger towards one of her Lords.  _These humans weren't even worthy to be garbage beneath their feet_ , she inwardly screamed as she gnashed her teeth in silent fury. If the Guardian Overseer's helmet were off, her expression would've undoubtedly brought nightmares to the witnesses.

{Calm yourself, otouto.}

{Shouldn't you be reminding yourself that, anija?}

{Brat.}

"Mind your manners,  _Al_ ," Momonga mock  _chided_  before turning to Gazef, "I apologize for my otouto's rudeness. He's shy when with strangers."

Gazef shook his head whilst glaring at his men, "No worries. It should be me who apologizes for my men's unprofessional attitude. I'll be sure to have them reflect when we get back, but for now, let's hide away the villagers. I'll need some time to think of a plan. Chief-dono?"

At his straightforwardness, the village Chief nodded, face full of worries as he ushered the villagers away. Gazef and his men followed after them, though a quarter of them split apart halfway to lead their horses to the stable for some last-minute nourishment.

Even after being reprimanded by the Head Warrior, some of them still had the balls to sneer and mutter unflattering words under their breaths when they walked pass Adalbert.

"Do you plan on getting involved, anija?" Adalbert turned the other cheek at their attempts to rile him up (he was pleased when they took offense in that) and asked as soon as they were out of hearing range, whilst at the same time, attaching a tactical scope on his crossbow gun. He peered into the scope to double check its position before starting to fix a laser sight on the weapon's underside.

Rather than answering his question directly, Momonga gestured to the bell tower, "Stand by. I trust that you'll know what to do when the time calls for it."

He blinked for a couple of seconds in confusion before his eyes lit up as if a child in a toy store.

"Un! You can count on me." Although his words and eyes were full of excitement, his tone remained a deadpan. It did not deter him and he swiftly leaped onto the bell tower's platform.

As soon as he did, Momonga strode off towards the direction of the villagers' hideout with Albedo following diligently behind. However, when took a peek at the duo before they turned the corner, he clearly saw Albedo's hesitancy and kicked-puppy body language.

Adalbert decided that the second they returned to Nazarick, he would invite Albedo to dine with him as a form of apology. He would've preferred to buy her dinner out from his own pockets, but since the food at Nazarick were free - it was a pointless endeavor. So the sincerity of his feelings would need to be conveyed through his actions and words rather than monetarily.

 _Now then..._  It was time to focus on the present.

Whilst inwardly praising Momonga-ani's brilliant and dastardly scheming mind, he allowed his lips to curl into a cruel and deranged smile.

He carelessly planted his bum on the wooden platform and started to coat his bolt tips with both slow-acting and fast-acting paralysis, humming Bach's 5th symphony all the while. Back at YGGDRASIL, he adores being the apex predator whenever he visited a terrain filled with PKers (revenge killings were the best). He so  _loves_  the thrill of the hunt.

Hopefully, the denizens of this New World would not disappoint him  _too much_.

* * *

**UnknownRegion has something to say:**

We have _"officially"_  reached the big **1OO,** folks! Time to celebrate~!

*Pops party poppers and streamers, and lights fireworks with Reader **Otome with the Black Hair** * 

＼(^ω^＼)．☆．。．:*･°ヽ(´∇´)ノ (∇´ノ) ヽ(       )ノ (ヽ´∇) ヽ(´∇`)ﾉ☆*。★ﾟ*♪ (〜￣△￣)〜

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Philocalist - a person who loves and appreciates beauty in all things.
> 
> Ahahaha... I'm seriously lacking at the naming department. It was utterly disappointing that the first name that popped into my mind was 'Al', short for Alphonse. I'm sorry for stealing your name, Al (from FMA)...
> 
> Anyway! I had wanted this chapter to be purely comedy and slice of life, but, well, through the first quarter, I started to listen to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEQf5lcnj_o), [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvF1Lgh61w), and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKiz8SvAqsY)... Although I did add a somewhat self-questioning part, it thankfully didn't derail into full-blown angst. Thankfully, I managed to keep it light! Lesson learned: Never listen to saddish music whilst wanting to write a happy piece! 
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for such lovely reviews (´꒳`)! My heart would always speed up whenever I see the number of comments slowly climb higher with every chapter I post. It seriously brings me motivation - to know that the things I write as something self-indulging would be enjoyed by others as well (〃▽〃)


	6. Chapter 6

Adalbert watched passively as the knights rode their horses to battle. Due to him being an assassin with a side job of a tamer, he was easily able to deduce (via gut feeling) that they would be brutally killed by the enemies' 3rd tier summons, those pathetic Archangel Flames, weaklings from YGGDRASIL.

Gazef, of course, was the sole exception. However, against such an 'overwhelming' number, he alone was not enough. Adalbert buckled his waist quiver and checked his bolts, before fearlessly jumping off of the bell tower and dashing towards the surrounding forest, effortlessly blending with the shadows.

Keeping up with the horses wasn't a difficult task, but he was, nevertheless, displeased. Being a daredevil speedster, his current speed limit was  _beyond_  appalling. In fact, it was downright offensive for him to even move in such a slothful speed.

With a dispassionate sigh, he turned (half of) his attention back to the knights.

Seeing that they were entering a grassland without trees, he perched himself predatorily at the border of the forest and observed them through his scope ( _thanks a lot, human vision_ ). It didn't surprise him when the Magic Casters targeted Gazef. The muscular man fell off his horse, but before his subordinates could pull him along with them, an Archangel Flame swiped down for the kill.

The monster didn't succeed, but the Head Warrior was left behind by his knights. Gazef fought off the weakling with a shout, before doing something completely unexpected. Adalbert took note of this 'Martial Art' (his lipreading ability was not to be disregarded) skillset of his - something completely nonexistent in YGGDRASIL.

Momonga-ani, the nerd, would definitely be intrigued after receiving such a report.

Soon enough, the rest of the Archangel Flames trapped Gazef in a circle, flanking him without a route to escape. Adalbert didn't move in to help or do anything equally as troublesome. He simply made himself more comfortable as he watched how the show would progress, wishing that he had the foresight to have prepared a giant bowl of popcorn beforehand.

If this was the old him,  _perhaps_  (a big maybe, to be truthful) he would've immediately lent a helping hand. Now that he was a Sloth Demon, however... Eh, it simply felt too laborious.

Furthermore, Momonga-ani has plans for the Head Warrior, so it would be counterproductive if his older brother did not secure  _at least_  two different safety nets around Gazef. Of course, Adalbert was one of them, but he reckoned he was the unreliable contingency plan for Momonga's contingency plan.

Honestly, he could never work out how Momonga's brain worked.

After upgrading his intelligence from a human's to a higher being's (probably due to the high INT and WIS stat), Adalbert was now left eating dust, only able to figure out the bare bones of his brother's plans. Rather than feeling envious, however, he felt proud for having such a wise and intelligent big brother - someone who he could rely on upon without worries.

He was about to follow after Gazef's subordinates, but just before he moved, he saw them circling back around. So he remained on his spot and continued to observe from a distance.

Seeing that the knights have now returned to fight a losing battle, he took out a biltong and nibbled on it, happy to move less. Luckily enough, his Item Box was filled with stamina consumables due to his primary work as an assassin sniper - where one needed to remain at a spot for long periods of time.

Whilst he snacked, he pulled out a bolt and leisurely fitted it to his crossbow gun. With just one hand, he aimed at a knight that was isolated from his comrades and fired. It was, of course, a bullseye. The knight's shoulder was pierced and he fell to his knees, the fast-acting paralysis and knock-out drug he had coated the bolt tips with caused the knight to enter the stage of fake death.

He then swiftly reloaded his crossbow gun and shot a few other isolated knights. Their comrades remained oblivious to Adalbert's presence as they were too busy with focusing on themselves. He silently determined the total number of those that he had taken down and nodded in satisfaction. They were enough.

Reluctantly putting away his biltong, he holstered his crossbow gun on the opposite side from his quiver and sank into the tree's shadow. He unseeingly emerged from his targets' shadows and took them into his own shadow's dimension, one by one, before making his way back to the forest via Shadow Warp.

Without further ado, he threw the comatose knights unceremoniously out from his dimension, pulled out an artifact that looked similar to a syringe, activated it, and jabbed the needle until it buried into his victim's brain stem. After a rough estimation, he injected the fluid inside and whispered into his victim's ear. This was repeated to all the knights.

After he was done, he threw the artifact back into his Item Box, removed the bolts from their shoulders, sprinkled a few drops of potion onto their wound, and returned the knights back to the battlefield.

{I'm done with the first phase, anija.}

He Messaged Momonga whilst he went back to sitting at the highest vantage point within the forest, snacking on a biltong with a cushion underneath his bum whilst looking through his scope.

{Good work, otouto.}

At Momonga's pleased response, Adalbert grinned goofily and allowed himself to preen like a peacock. If he was in his demi-human form, his tail would've undoubtedly been swishing enthusiastically behind of him.

It was then, when the one-sided battle was reaching its climax, Momonga and Albedo made their dramatic entrance, switching themselves with Gazef and his men. Adalbert noticeably perked up and focused more on the 'battle'. It was too bad he couldn't use his lip-reading ability on a certain someone with no skin.

He couldn't help but yawn when all they did was talked. It was boring since he couldn't hear them. With a huff, he got up from his seat, stretched his limbs, and emerged behind a Magic Caster's shadow. They were, of course, oblivious due to their stupid bucket-like helmets.

He distanced himself, put a cushion underneath him, and sat down. He soon started to wipe his crossbow gun whilst passively watching the group of Magic Casters' behind.

Basically, his job was to prevent them from escaping and retrieved them for interrogation purposes - or better yet, Momonga-ani gave him permission to toy with them after Momonga was done testing their power levels.

What he loved best was psychological warfare and mental games.  _The hunt,_  to put it simply. So he waited, inwardly eager whilst outwardly apathetic.

"Have the angels attack!" The blonde leader whose name Adalbert forgot, commanded his subordinates.

Adalbert wasn't worried since Albedo was there and Momonga has a lot of attributes that made him immune to physical attacks from a certain level downwards. And with how these Archangel Flames were low-level mobs, their summoners should not be a problem for Momonga-ani.

What was unexpected, however, was for his brother to stand immobile and allow the two Archangel Flames to actually  _stab_  him. Adalbert almost rushed over, but when he saw how unaffected his brother was, he relaxed his taut muscles.

Unlike YGGDRASIL with their unlimited revivals, this New World was probably more similar to IRL - where they only had one life (do revival tools work here? Something to experiment later on). So that had truly given him one hell of a fright.

"How pathetic. This is what happens when you make foolish bluffs-  _eh_?"

The blonde human stopped his yapping when Momonga-ani simply held the Archangel Flames by their throats and cruelly killed them by increasing his grip ever so slightly over time, as if using them as an experimental tool to gauge his physical strength.

Adalbert pulled out a pack of bak kwa and ate the pieces slowly, enjoying the way the humans panicked at the show of unnerving (to them) strength. The hysteric voices coming from the bucket helmets were all shouting 'impossible' and 'it shouldn't be possible' etc etc. It was highly entertaining.

"I knew it," Momonga's deep voice resounded, silencing all with sheer charisma alone, "I desire to know why you all can use the same magic and summons as those from YGGDRASIL... But I'll put that aside for now. I have other means to acquire such information. It's my turn. Here I come - this is a  ** _m_ as _s_ ac _re_**."

The humans all trembled, beyond frightened.

"Have all the angels attack at once! Hurry!" Although the group's leader yelled angrily - his eyes betrayed his overwhelming fear.

From then onwards, Momonga easily showed them what it meant to be fighting an opponent that was on a completely different plane of existence from them. The distance between power levels could not be compared. It kinda reminded him of a poem called 'The Furthest Distance in the World'.

But rather than a love poem, it was a poem to show how incomparable these human Magic Casters were when in the face of a YGGDRASIL Player.

How did it go again?

_'The furthest distance in the world is not the distance between the flying bird and fish. It is that you are playing with your phone, even when I stand in front of you'_

... No, wait. That was the modified version.

Aa, forget it. Too troublesome.

Whilst he had been lost in thought, Momonga-ani (and Albedo) was done with showing them who was boss - having 1 hit their 'highest of angels' summoned from a Sealing Crystal (yet another something from YGGDRASIL. The possibility of there being a few YGGDRASIL World Item entered Adalbert's mind. He wondered if he should discuss this with Momonga, but discarded that thought immediately. If he could have come to that conclusion, Momonga-ani should have as well).

 _Pfft_ , what a joke that had turned out to be. For them to have put all of their hopes on a Dominion Authority of  _all_  monsters available. It was laughable.

As if they had rehearsed this beforehand, all of them turned on their heels as one and ran, but came to an abrupt stop when they came bucket-to-face with Adalbert, who was seated a slight distance away from them, eating bak kwa like this was an everyday occurrence.

"Al. I leave them to you. Do remember to introduce Nazarick's hospitality to our  _esteemed guests_. Let us return, Albedo."

With that said and done, Momonga used Gate and walked through it without pause. Albedo hesitated for a split second before following, leaving behind a dumbfounded group of humans.

Adalbert smiled at them, though unseen due to his scarf, and slowly raised to his feet, causing the humans to take a step back in fright. Without any rush, he popped the last bak kwa into his mouth and threw his cushion back into his Item Box.

"Thank you for your patience," He stated monotonously whilst aiming his crossbow gun at them, his eyes glinting with insanity, "As a reward, I'll permit a thirty-second head start."

* * *

**[Random person's POV]**

_Haa... Haa... Haa..._

_Left. Left. Right. Left. Straight. Right._

Jack Daniels huffed and puffed as he ran blindly through the woods, his helmet discarded long ago to ensure a better range of vision, but it was still too dark to see clearly after nightfall. One of his brothers in arms was behind him, equally as exhausted as they ran with all their might for even the slightest chance of survival.

"S-should...  _huff_... should we stop? He can't be...  _huff_... still chasing after... us, can...  _haa_... can he?" Jack asked while wiping the sweat from his brows, his face flushed with exertion.

"No! Keep going!" Mike responded hysterically. He was breathing harshly as his eyes, clouded with paranoia and fear, swirled around non-stop, jumping from treetop to treetop.

 _No_. It wasn't paranoia. Jack wished it was only paranoia. But there really was someone (something)  _hunting_  them like  _animals_. As if they were all just a  _game_  to that  _beast_.

There were originally 46 of them ( _no_ , it was 45. Alex was killed after shooting a rock at the skeleton). They had stuck together, naively thinking that it was better to have quantity against only 1 man (security in numbers and all that bullshit). But they miscalculated. That  _monster_  wasn't just 1 man. Rather, it wasn't human. Just like that skeleton mage.

1 by 1, they were all shot by that beast. They would've shrugged off their injuries, their lives more important than short-term pain, however, they didn't realize that the bolts had paralysis coated on them. They were slow-acting and excruciating (judging by the screams of despair).

And they were definitely on purpose. That beast was sadistic, cruel, and childish. Whenever someone gets hit by his bolts, the victim would be mercilessly pelted with darts and spells to steer them to a certain direction... only to fall prey into a trap.

Jack had witnessed the beast's cruelty. And he feared it.

One of his mates had fallen into a hole full of snakes. Others had met different endings - equally or more painful than the last. After that, they had all scattered like headless chickens.

He met up with Mike coincidentally after running non-stop. They were both too scared and jumpy to even remain at one location, hoping and praying to God that they would escape this cat and mouse game intact.

Without his permission, Jack's knees buckled, his body's exhaustion catching up with him. He was a Magic Caster, someone who was physically weak, not a warrior or any other job that required physical labor.

Mike looked ready to ditch him and run. In fact, he did just that.

Jack instantly felt betrayed. The hurt was then quickly replaced by a frost of fury. He and Mike were bunkmates, brothers in arms that drank, ate, and fought together. Yet, upon encountering a life-threatening danger, he was abandoned  _just like that_?! He  _refused_  to accept dying alone! If he was going down, it would not be on his own!

He allowed his anger to control his actions, his already high-strung nerves causing him to react violently. His body, which should be too weak to even lift a finger, was pumped full of renewed adrenaline. He used his newly obtained energy to tackle Mike to the ground.

"L-let go! Let go! I d-don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO DIEEE!" Mike punched without hold back, the thick gloves helped in breaking Jack's nose.

He howled in pain, releasing the fucker to instinctually grab his broken nose.

Mike clawed his way to his feet, and just as he was about to run, Jack kicked the betrayer's back, watching with gratification as Mike ate dirt. He didn't stop there. Without even the slightest of hesitation, he stomped on the other man's knee, the crack easily heard by the both of them.

" _AAAAAHHHHHH_! H-h-h-ho-how could you do t-this to me?! WHY!?" Mike screamed and cried, in both pain and fear as he held his broken knee.

"Don't you blame me! You were the one who wanted to run without me! Serves you right, betrayer!" He screamed back, mouth frothing as he used his forearm to block the blood from further escaping his broken nose.

"Fuck you, Jack!  _FUCK_   _YOU_!" As if pumped full of steroids, Mike's eyes were bloodshot as he brought a hand up, a crazed grin forming on his lips, "Eat this, Fireball!"

"SHIT!" He dived to the ground, heart beating a mile a minute as he narrowly escaped having his face barbequed.

As if Mike had worked himself into a frenzy, he shot more and more spells at Jack. However, thanks to the pain of having his knee broken, Mike's aiming wasn't as accurate as it normally would've been.

Jack hid behind a tree, eyes livid. As soon as he heard Mike's breathing change to laborious, he rolled out from his hiding spot and brought a hand up, a savage grin playing on his lips.

"Die already...! Thunderlance!" He roared and threw the spell at the incapacitated man.

Mike yelled in denial, but before Jack could feel the pleasure of watching the betrayer get pierced by his spell, a shadow landed in between them. Both Jack and Mike's pupil dilated, their breathing picked up, and their heart rate increased in tempo.

The demon, without an ounce of effort, backhanded the Thunderlance like it was an annoying fly, its black clawed hand looking deceptively frail, yet containing unimaginable power.

Jack couldn't move, his knees trembling too much for him to be able to do anything but fall to his backside. He objectively saw how Mike's pants were soiled at the middle, but those thoughts were quickly pushed out of his mind in favor of staring unblinkingly at the demon.

If this was any other day, Jack would not have hesitated to admit that he would have gone up to the beast and flirted with death. Despite wearing a strange set of clothing, the bespectacled man-beast was unearthly beautiful - exotic and out of this world.

With his soft looking silver hair, sapphire-like asymmetric horns, sharp facial features, black on blue half-lidded eyes, and a slender body with a metallic black tail wrapped around his waist, his charm was hard to resist. Only fear (and the blood splatters) made Jack aware that this person was an alpha predator and he should not provoke it by doing anything stupid.

Furthermore, there was a  _scent_  that made this beast all the more alluring. The fragrance clouded his senses, dulled his reflexes, and made him lethargic. Yet, he could not help but want to inhale more of that odor - like an addiction of sorts. It was pleasant, but at the same time,  _unpleasant_.

 _'Insomniacs and stoners would probably love it',_  the hysterical portion of his mind supplied.

When the shapeshifting demon moved closer to Mike, Jack snapped out of his trance and took the chance to flee. He didn't dare to look back even when he heard Mike's dreadful pleas and agonized screams, followed by the snapping of bone, tearing of flesh, and even more torturous howls.

It made him cover his ears as he stumbled towards any random direction (anywhere was safer than here), tears already rolling down his cheeks as he begged God in his mind to please,  _please let him get out of here alive._ He didn't know for how long he ran, but he didn't stop. He just wanted to  _live_.

"Wao," a monotonous and androgynous voice whispered into his ears, causing goosebumps to appear all over his arms. He, however, didn't stop running despite hearing someone breathing down his neck. He didn't dare to.

"The way you abandoned your comrade was pure demonic. I must commend you, human. You are much more of a demon than I am."

He could hear his own teeth chatter, his own blood growing cold, and the hair on the back of his neck stand erect as he was frozen in place.

 _Demon_? This beast was a  _humanoid Demon_?! Should they not have been extinct - or better yet, un-summonable?!

Before he could react any further, he was thrown into a tree, his breath knocked out from him as he slid to the ground in a daze.

"I would've been greatly impressed... Enough to spare you, in fact..."

 _That_  caused hope to rise in his chest.

He quickly crawled to his knees and kowtowed, begging for the Demon to  _please spare this pathetic low life_. But then,  _it_  continued to talk in  _its_  usual flat way,  _its_  words causing him to cry harder.

"If I had been any other Demon, that is. Unluckily for you, in Nazarick, we value  **loyalty**  above all else. Sacrificing your life for a friend is praised. What you did... Aa, it makes me want to  _punish_  you."

"N-no, please! I'll do anything! Anything! Spare me, please! I have a wife - and a son! They're relying on me to bring back food to the table!" He was desperate as he looked pleadingly into the demon's demonic eyes.

"I've decided, insect. You're visiting Neuronist along with the few others I have personally selected. I'm confident that she'll be able to re-educate you lot about proper social behaviors - as well as honor and ethics."

"Mercy! Please, mercy...! No no nO NO NO  _NOOO_ -" He screamed in pure terror as inky hands sprouted from his own shadow, pulling his entire body into a world of muted monochrome.

The last he saw of this fiend was its ethereal smile and nightmare-inducing, sadistic eyes.

* * *

**[Another random person's POV]**

Angie Berd allowed her arm to be pulled by her fiancé, Eric Carter, as they brisk walked behind their squad leader, Phill Stone. She was exhausted, her bangs plastered uncomfortably against her sweaty forehead as her body continued to pump out an immeasurable amount of perspiration.

Her tears have long stopped, yet her fears only increased as the night continues. As if there was an unspoken signal, the two men came to an abrupt stop, much to her relief. She immediately fell to her bum, her legs trembling uncontrollably due to the excessive strain she had put them through.

Eric sat next to her, gently arranging her body so that she was leaning bonelessly against him. She whispered her thanks, not at all daring to speak any louder. Her fiancé only kissed her sweaty forehead and hugged her in reassurance - although it was unknown if it was for himself or her, as his arms were quivering beyond control.

She didn't know for how long they rested for, but the three of them jolted to their feet at the sound of someone's tortured screaming. It was far, but it was so  _loud_ and  _terrible_. The wildlife had long fled, knowing that a predator at the top of the food chain was in this forest, therefore their surroundings were eerily silent.

It was only when someone was caught did the unnerving silence break. She both dreaded noisiness and quietness - and after this experience, if she were to escape from here alive, she would definitely develop a phobia of forests.

"We should continue moving." Eric murmured.

Phill and her nodded jerkily, their muscles spasming once in a while as they forced themselves to continue walking. Running was already out of the question as they were too tired - and it was too dark to see clearly in front of them. They also dared not use a spell to give away their position.

It was then the hairs on the back of her neck stood. She felt chills run down her spine at the smell of a familiar fragrance assaulting her nose from the front.

She squeezed Eric's wrist and slowly began to retreat her steps, not wanting to alert Phill that something was amiss. Her man noticed her plan and obediently followed along. They would abandon their squad leader to that creature to give them an extra time to get away.

As soon as they were far enough from Phill, they took off in a dead sprint to another direction, away from the creature's pleasant yet at the same time unpleasant odor.

Phill remained oblivious as he continued to walk to his death. She mentally apologized to him, but it was every (wo)man for themselves.

Just as they got out of range, they heard Phill's agonized shrill, along with the sound of flesh being skewered. The couple gazed into each other's terrified eyes and ran faster, tripping over a root once in a while in this darkness.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them disappeared. They cried out in panic as they rolled down a slope. Angie felt every rock and stick that her body landed on, some even scrapping some of her skin off and bruising her ribs. When they came to a stop below, she felt a sharp sensation on her leg.

When she looked at the limb, she couldn't help but whimper, alerting Eric that something was wrong. He scrambled blindly to her, whispering harshly for her status.

"I-I think my leg... The bone's- it hurts, E-Eric!"

"Shh. I got you. Hold still, love. I'll-" He stopped talking to prioritize healing her calf, one of the bones had broken through her skin, "Light Healing."

His palms glowed a light shade of green as he murmured the spell. It provided some lighting as he worked, much to her relief. The dark was getting to her, making her feel as if she was spiraling down to insanity.

" _Fascinating_."

Followed by that androgynous monotone, a pale, blood splattered face suddenly appeared above Eric's right shoulder, causing the couple to freeze in place like two petrified rabbits in the face of a salivating lion.

With the monster being so close, she could finally smell the fragrance wafting from the  _creature_. The metallic scent of her blood had made them careless. It was a massive blunder on their part.

"Aa, don't mind me. Carry on. Think of me as nothing but an invisible observer."

The unnerving creature then provocatively wrapped its arms loosely around Eric's waist whilst placing its bloodstained chin on Eric's trembling shoulder, its soft-looking silver locks (that were partially covered in the blood of her comrades) brushed slightly against her man's cheek.

"P-p-p-please s-spare us." She stuttered breathlessly, her eyes turning red as fat tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She was so frightened she didn't know what else to do but plead for their lives.

The Demon, for it could be nothing but a Demon ( _who had dared to summon such a high-ranking Demon from the Demon World, anyway?! Were they suicidal?! What sort of Demon was this, anyway!?_ ), tilted its head in a show of innocent curiosity, one of its sapphire-like horns knocking against Eric's skull and causing the latter to flinch.

"Although it's quite the pointless endeavor, should you not be focusing on healing her, maggot? Why did you stop?"

Despite its facial expression showing one of curiosity, its androgynous tone was flat - as if it was a living doll with no soul.

"How about this...? For how ever long you continuously use Light Healing, I'll let you both have the same exact amount of time free reining in this little game of ours."

Eric and she exchanged a terrified yet hopeful look, before hesitatingly agreeing with it. The Demon's lips curled in satisfaction. That smile took her breath away with how beautiful it looked, her heart pounding quicker for all the wrong reasons.

"Excellent. Start whenever. I'll help with keeping count."

Eric chanted the spell and furrowed his brows in concentration as he tried to fully heal her as slowly as possible. She silently cheered him on. Other than that, she couldn't do anything. If she launched a surprise attack on the Demon, she knew she would be the one who perishes.

So she did nothing but try to control her trembling.

"Say," The Demon suddenly started, causing her to jolt and Eric's spell to almost flicker away.

The both of them were covered in cold sweat, not daring to even think about the consequences if Eric had lost control of his spell prematurely. They would have had only a few seconds of a head start before they were once again hunted by the Demon.

"Y-yes?" She answered on their behalf, her voice shaky.

"I just wanted to congratulate you."

"H-huh?"

"Aa? You didn't know?" It waved in the general direction of her abdomen whilst blinking  _innocently_.

That made the couple's two pairs of eyes widened in shock. Was... was she pregnant?

She felt conflicted; happy, angry, terrified, hopeless, and hopeful, all at the same time.

"O-oh... I d-didn't. How did you...?"

It only smiled mysteriously, the unknown emotions in its eyes making her heart speed up in fear and attraction at the same time.

She felt disgusted at herself for feeling attracted to this vile fiend.

She liked to think herself as someone not shallow, however, the Demon's beauty was out of this world - it would've been able to seduce any man or woman to its bed even with its apathy towards humanity. But she knew that this creature felt nothing for their race. She didn't know if she should feel relieved or disappointed.

"Let's make this more exciting."

The two humans blinked in confusion, but then, she suddenly felt a pain in her abdomen and a metallic taste at the back of her throat. It was when she started to cough blood did she notice one of the Demon's black claws were buried deep in her womb.

 _N-no_...! For the first time tonight, she felt fear not for herself, but for the life growing inside of her.

"Which do you choose to heal first? You choose, human man." The Demon's black on blue eyes with cross-shaped pupils were alight with mirth as it told Eric his choices.

Her lips parted, her everything wanting to scream for him to choose their child, but before she could voice out her words, a deceptively slender and armored black tail wrapped itself around her throat, constricting her airway and disallowing her to vocalize her thoughts.

The Demon's expression screamed at her to dare ruin its  _fun_... and it would end her.  _Painfully slow._ She snapped her mouth shut and looked fearfully away, not daring to utter a sound.

"I... I..." Eric stuttered, tears gathering in his eyes as he said softly, "I can't choose between them. Th-that's an impossible choice!"

"Are you sure you want to deny my fun?" It then wiggled its clawed fingers, causing her to scream in agony at the sensation of hot knives moving inside her abdomen.

"W-wait! Please, stop! I'll choose! I'll choose!"

The creature stopped all movements ( _thank fucking god!_ ) and blinked expectantly at Eric. But then, just as Eric's lips parted, the Demon turned to her (who was currently drooling as she couldn't do anything but tremble at the excruciating pain) with an evil grin on its lips.

"Before that. Let me ask you this, woman. Once your man has exhausted himself... will you leave him behind or will you stay with him as I slowly count the seconds to your death?"

The tail loosened, allowing her to speak. She panted and shook in pain, but she didn't hesitate when she answered, even when she coughed out more blood, painting her lips crimson.

"I will stay with him!"

"Wao. What conviction! Color me impressed. Then, answer me this: if he chooses to heal your abdomen, but does not have enough energy to fully heal you... what then?"

Her eyes widened at its question. She had not thought of that! She looked at Eric in panic, seeing that same anxiety reflected in his eyes. They both know that that scenario was realistic. Eric has already spent most of his energy trying to heal her broken bone (only halfway), so he was already weakened greatly.

If she were to die... it would be pointless to save their child... since her unborn child would die with her.

"I... I don't... I don't know..." She stuttered.

"Hm~ How about this? I'll give you this potion. It will heal all your injuries in the blink of an eye." It pulled out a red potion (what?! Weren't  _red potions_  a myth?!) from its pocket and held the vial in the hand that wasn't stabbing her in the abdomen.

"W-what's the catch?" Eric asked warily, his whole face covered in sweat as he still struggled to keep his spell working.

"Woman," Although her sight was beginning to blur at the pain and blood loss, she tried her best to focus on him, "This potion is yours if you choose to abandon this man."

The tail around her throat was instantly wrapped around Eric's, causing her to shiver when the cold air hit her previously warm neck.

She shook her head with vengeance, glaring at the vile creature with hatred in her blurred eyes. But the fiend wasn't there any longer, much to her confusion.

It, without her knowledge, had already moved to sit behind her, its arms wrapped around her waist and its chin propped on her shoulder, scaring the living daylights out of her. The Demon's scent made her woozy at such a close proximity. She felt her mind turning to a mush from the intense stimuli...

"Really? What if he ran out of energy right now?"

Just as it said, Eric collapsed bonelessly, his chest heaving and his face turning a shade of bluish pale. It was only due to the tail around his throat that he remained upright.

Her decision wavered. She so badly wanted to keep this child, yet, if she chose to refuse this creature, she would die. But even so...

"It's pointless. If I have to die in this forest anyway, I'll die with my fiancé and our child."

"Despite me sparing you?"

"Huh?"

"If your choice is to abandon this man, I will give you this red potion and personally escort you out of this forest." It stated in a flat tone. Its words of temptation were similar to a demon offering a contract for her soul.

This time, she silently weighed the pros and cons.

"H-how will I know if you will keep your words?"

"Lying is beneath me."

After a few long moments of contemplation, she decided that the life of her child and her's outweighed that of Eric's. Her desperate mind, foggy and numb with lethargy, wanted to do nothing more than to get out of this forest, go back home, and sleep.

"T-then... Yes... I will abandon him if you give me the red potion and let me leave this forest unharmed."

Eric choked in disbelief, his facial expression one of denial and betrayal. She dared not look at him anymore, her heart in chaos, but she was desperate. Love could only bring a person so far. All that mattered was the life inside of her and her own life.

She wanted to live. She wanted to live.  _ **She wanted to live!**_

"Mm. You've made your choice, human woman. Now, back to you, human man. Answer the question I had previously asked: which do you choose to heal first?"

Her eyes widened in terror and her heart leaped to her throat.

 _Fuck!_  She had been played!

She desperately turned to Eric... and saw that he wasn't at all that tired. He had previously struggled and turned blue due to the lack of air caused by the tail, not due to the lack of energy! She had been thoroughly manipulated by the fiend's poisonous and tempting words!

"I... I will save neither! You bitch, how could you choose to abandon me?! After all I have done for you...?! Die with that child of yours!" He bared his teeth, madness in his eyes, as if he has forgotten about the tail that could clearly kill him in a split second.

"N-no... I wasn't thinking straight! Please, darling! You have to understand... It, it  _tricked_  me!" She reached her hand to him, but she couldn't move away as the Demon was still holding her in place.

" _Hah_?! Darling? You dare call me that after you chose to abandon me?! NO! I WON'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"Please! At least for our child!"

"Aa, right." The vile creature suddenly cut in, an innocent smile playing on its lips, "I've been wondering... Why do you speak as if you are pregnant, woman?"

"Huh?" "What?" The couple(?) exclaimed with bewilderment.

"Shouldn't I be the one to express my confusion?" It asked in a complete monotone, Its eyes mirthful.

"B-but. Didn't you congratulate me for being pregnant?!" She shouted, her shot-nerves getting the better of her, as she futilely squirmed to escape its arms.

"When have I ever said you were pregnant?"

"Eh...?" She stilled. Then she tried to rewind their conversation - the fog in her brain was thick...

"You didn't..." Eric suddenly blanched, "You only pointed at her stomach and said congratulation... We misinterpret your actions and words and came into our own conclusion... We assumed... Oh...  _God_..."

"But you clearly asked Eric to choose if he wanted to save the baby or me!" She retorted quickly.

"Did I? If I remember correctly, I asked ' _which_  do you choose to heal first'. Hm. If you weren't clear on the question, you should have asked for a clarification. I was referring to the woman's knee or stomach - which would the human male choose to heal first?"

"..." They were both speechless. This Demon's silver tongue was truly despicable and atrocious.

"Also, I am unaware that you would refer to yourself as an object - color me amused - but I suppose humans are somewhat similar to miscellaneous items. I am not a fan of lying, you see," It stated factually, "I just like mind games. And the result is... You both fail.  _Terribly_."

"No! You lie!" Her dazed mind made it hard for her to connect with the primal fear she was experiencing, she yelled, body trembling, refusing to believe the Demon's lies. She refused to acknowledge that he was speaking the truth.

"I am Belphegor, the  _Devil_  who governs over the deadly sin of  _Sloth_. My vice is  _indolence_ , not  _lies_. You would do well to remember that, insect."

The one... who  _governs_... over...  _sloth_...?

No. It couldn't be. That should be  _impossible_!

No mortal, undead, or demi-human... or even the  _Six Great Gods_  could possibly be able to rule over such an imaginary notion! The seven deadly sins were only an  _essence_ , a product of mankind's conceptualization - a lore to scare little children into doing more good than evil! Virtue and vice were only fancy words and impressions!

A Devil who rules over one of the seven deadly sins...?

Utterly foolish!

It must be speaking nonsense! What could she have expected from a  _demi-human_! It was no Demon or Devil. It was a delirious demi-human posing as such! Even Lord Surshana, the God of Death, could not control such a surreal concept!

"Impossible! Nobody could govern an essence - an illusionary concept! You are no simulacrum of Sloth! You are simply a  _filthy_   _demi-human mongrel_  with the ravings of a lunatic! I shan't be hoodwinked any longer!" she dared rebuked its words, her lips flapping loosely, spittle flying as she practically froths in her mouth to reject any such possibilities.

A small part of her was screaming for her to _shut the fuck up_. But she was buzzed. Everything felt... floaty. And she was so  _tired_...

"Wao," The filth actually dared to chuckle ( _at her, a human, someone above it!_ ) in a complete monotone, and released her body in favor of standing up to stretch.

"The YGGDRASIL Players would be horrified if they could hear your remarks. Aa, I can already picture it. To have dissed the  _World Enemy_  so thoroughly is just asking for a beating. If this was back in YGGDRASIL, I would kill you back to level 1. Unfortunately, you only have one measly life. So I'll have to make this good."

Before either she or Eric could react, a dozen inky black hands emerged from their shadows.

They panicked, despaired, and shrieked in the face of such unknown terrors. They were slowly dragged into their own shadows, bit by bit, as if their struggles amused the being standing to their front. Her human supremacy mindset immediately fled to the back of her mind, pure fear taking over her  _everything_.

"Y-y-you said you would l-let me l-leave the f-f-forest! If, if lying is beneath you, KEEP YOUR WORDS!" She screamed in a last-second attempt to escape with her life.

"But I am?" It tilted its head to the side, passively watching as she and Eric sank deeper and deeper into their own shadow, the inky hands restricting any motion, "You are leaving this forest now, after all.  _Oh_ , right. My apologies. Here."

It half-heartedly threw the promised red potion at her, but because she couldn't do anything but blink and cry, it was left uncaught. Her last sight before she was forcefully pulled into a muted, monochrome dimension was the creature picking at its sharpened claws idly.

"I'll come to visit after Neuronist is done teaching you what despair means. Know your place, insect."

Its bored drawl left her whole soul trembling in extreme fear. Instinctively, she knew she had fucked up badly. But it was too late to beg for forgiveness.

* * *

**[Adalbert's POV]**

After dropping off the thirty or so Sunlight Scriptures to the Room of Truth on the 5th Floor, he decided that now would be a good time to invite Albedo to a meal together. It might be a little late since he had lost track of time whilst playing  _tag_ , but he would ask, anyway, in case the Guardian Overseer had not eaten dinner yet.

But first, he needed to look presentable.

He used the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown to teleport to the hot spring in order to have a quick shower and soak. Some blood had gotten on him, and he was afraid that it would dye his magnificent silver locks an ugly shade of red if he allowed the fluid to remain on him any longer.

However, he somehow forgot about how good it felt to actually be in a hot spring. So he,  _uh_ , fell asleep.

Morning came swiftly whilst he slept in the hot spring, unbothered by the heat thanks to his Demon heritage. He was woken by Sebas, who informed him that Momonga-ani was looking for him. Apparently, he was so dead to the world he did not even hear his older brother's Messages - so Momonga got worried and sent Sebas to look for him.

He quickly got dressed in his usual gothic tailcoat jacket, slacks, heeled combat boots, and mask, and teleported outside of Momonga's office. He knocked on the door with the grace of an elephant and entered without waiting for permission. When he saw that nobody was in the office apart from one non-combat maid, he went to the connected bedchamber, barging in without announcing his presence.

"You called?" He dragged his feet to the bed whilst yawning, not minding that his brother was standing in front of a body mirror, wearing a full suit of black armor with a red cape tied on the right shoulder.

It reminded him somewhat of Touch Me-sempai and the man's love for dramatics. How nostalgic...

"Mm. I heard from Sebas that you fell asleep in the hot springs. Did the workout tire you?" _Are you alright with taking human lives? Did it cause you emotional and mental distress?_  was left unsaid, but rang clear between them.

"Aa, it did tire me, but it was all in the name of fun. Don't worry, anija. I was merely lacking in sleep so I fell dead to the world," He jumped onto his brother's bed and wrapped himself with a blanket until only his head remained outside of the burrito.

"Of course. I should have realized," Momonga replied drily, though there was relief in it as well. It made Adalbert's eyes soften as he stared at his brother's armored back, "What are your plans for today?"

"I plan to catch some more Zs. Has Neuronist gained any good intel?"

"The paperwork's on my desk. Read at your own leisure. Don't forget to hand me your report as well - though I'll be going to E-Rantel with Narberal to register as an Adventurer. Thus I won't be able to look through it anytime soon. Is there anything important you would like to inform me before I go?"

"Mm... Gazef used an interesting skill to defeat the summons. It's called Martial Arts. I'll write a detailed report about it - but Neuronist should have more intel on that."

"Will you be visiting our famed intelligence officer soon?"

"Yes. Do you want me to order her to extract info about these 'Martial Arts' skill from our prisoners?"

"Mhm. Other than that, anything else?"

"Nothing important."

"Very well. Are you interested in joining Narberal and I?"

_Eh, no way._

A full-on recon mission with his brother? Hell no. It would put a restriction on any of his movements and disallow him to sightsee at his own leisure. Besides, an assassin of his skillset worked better alone.

"I'm good. I'll familiarize myself with the information first, then  _maybe_  I'll join you. As for my report, don't worry, anija, I'll drop it on your desk come tomorrow morning."

"As efficient as always, otouto. Ah, and before I forget... Your  _personal guard_   _("don't you mean glorified babysitter, anija?")_  is waiting for you outside your bedchamber. Stay with him for a week, then you're free to ditch him."

"Oh? That's different. I thought you'd insist that I be accompanied for  _years_. But alright. I'll welcome him with open arms."

Momonga strode towards him and ruffled his hair, careful of his horns, before replying evenly, "You're an adult, otouto. The only reason why I was angry was because I've yet to test the waters of this New World. If you had waited a day longer, I would not have minded - you were bestowed the title of World Champion by the All-Father for a reason."

"Aa, I know my wrongs. I'm sorry for worrying you, anija. Really."

"I know. I'm explaining this to you because communication prevents misunderstandings. Will you remain with your chaperone for the time I have presented you with?"

"A week, right? No worries. I promise I won't ditch whoever you assigned until the due date. Will you be leaving soon?"

"Now, actually. The Message function is limited in range, so look for me in cases of emergencies only. You know where I'll be at. Take one of the Pleiades or Guardians with you if you urgently have to leave Nazarick."

"No problem. I'll see you when I see you then, anija. Don't hesitate to ask for back-up."

"Mm.  _Good luck_." Momonga's parting words made him confused, but he didn't think much of it.

After one last head pat, Momonga left his bedchamber to go meet up with Narberal, who he saw was waiting outside the door obediently.

Adalbert continued to remain as a burrito for another few minutes before reluctantly unwrapping himself to go and meet his babysitter (guard). Then he would get food, write his report, and submit it so he would have more free time to laze about.

He teleported outside of his bedchamber whilst stretching, only to become a statue the moment he laid eyes upon  _who_  exactly was standing guard there, completely petrified.

"Ah! Adalbert Cross-sama! By the request of Ainz-sama, I, Kyo-"

Before the stomach-churning guy could even finish his introduction, Adalbert has already teleported to the 7th Floor, his forehead covered in a layer of cold sweat. He instinctively sought the burning heat to combat the chills that were running down his spine. The sight of a  _giant cockroach_  was enough to creep even the macho-est of man!

Oh, All-Father, his older brother was the fucking  _devil_! He seriously should not have made Momonga cuss twice! But even so, wasn't this punishment simply too harsh~?! It was no wonder that  _arsehat_  wished him 'good luck'!  _How could anyone create such an abomination?!_

As if Kyouhukou alone was not enough of a punishment to someone with  **katsaridaphobia** , he felt a few somethings land lightly atop his clothed chest. Looking downwards, his half-lidded eyes widened ever so slightly before he, in record-breaking time, retrieved a random misc item and used it to smash the monstrosities clinging onto him.

Upon confirming that there were no more of Kyouhukou's spine-chilling subordinates on his person, he immediately changed his tailcoat jacket to a black brocade tailcoat. The tailcoat jacket (a Legendary Class Item) was then unceremoniously dropped to the ground and kicked  ** _FAR_**  away from him.

Aiming Daiyamondo at the squashed  _abominations_ , he input his MP and charged it. As soon as he hit his weapon's maximum threshold, he discharged the energy bullet, causing the ground to tremble upon impact, alerting the few nearby patrolling Demons to rush over.

The first one to reach him was Evil Lord Envy. She was shocked to see him standing in front of a newly formed, still steaming-hot deep crater, but quickly got down to one knee. The rest of her kin followed her actions immediately upon spotting him.

"Adalbert Cross-sama! Welcome to the 7th Floor! M-may I ask how that...  _pit_... came to be? Did anyone displease you?" Evil Lord Envy hesitatingly asked.

"I was eradicating the  _atrocities_ from this world." He refused to move his (crazed) eyes away from the hole as he contemplates shooting at it again - what if those  _things_  somehow managed to survive?

She was stunned at his insane proclamation, but Adalbert did not notice, too busy with glaring at the hole. He then, once again, aimed Daiyamondo. Just in case. He needed to do this to prevent any of them from  _breeding_.

Before he could input his MP into his weapon, however, he heard a familiar voice.

The silky voice instantly calmed him - yet it also made him want to flee, the wounds of his heart bleeding open whenever he neared the Guardian. He stiffly turned to face the approaching Guardian whilst he simultaneously deposited Daiyamondo back into his Item Box.

"Good morning, Adalbert-sama," Demiurge greeted as he walked nearer, hands behind his back and a sharp smile playing on his lips, "What a pleasant surprise. I apologize for not arriving immediately upon your arrival."

He then bowed gracefully at a thirty-degree angle, a hand on his chest, before straightening. Demiurge kept an arm over his abdomen with his hand clenched into a fist, whilst the other remained at his back - looking like a true member of the aristocrats yet still remaining servile.

"Aa, Demiurge. Good morning to you as well," Unfortunately, he couldn't quite manage to keep his eye on the Arch-Devil for long, the memories of his past haunting him, "Your dedication pleases me, but you need not rush over whenever I appear. I do not wish to bother you as I know you are a busy man."

"Nonsense. I will always be there to serve you, my Lord, come day and night."

"... If you say so," Adalbert paused for a second, unsure, but asked anyway, "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"I have not."

"As have I. Would it trouble you if I asked you to join me?" Momonga-ani wouldn't mind Adalbert ditching his babysitter to prioritize some private time with his godson, right? (any excuse to keep Kyouhukou away!)

"It will be my pleasure, Adalbert-sama. Anything you ask of me is no trouble at all. May I ask if you are opposed to inviting another to join us?"

"Aa, Victim, I reckon?"

"My Lord is wise indeed."

"I don't mind. Inform him to meet us at the Staff Canteen."

Without another word, he turned on his heels and made his way towards the exit. Demiurge followed a couple of steps behind, a silent shadow (protector) that made Adalbert feel safe. Demiurge's subordinates also went back to their patrols after they left.

After a few more minutes of walking, Adalbert sighed, stopped, and turned to face his best friend's creation.

"I permit you to walk beside me, Demiurge." Not waiting to hear his response, Adalbert continued to walk.

Demiurge clearly hesitated, judging by the lack of presence at Adalbert's side, but it was only for a couple of seconds. As soon as Demiurge was to his left (although still half a step behind) he couldn't help but let his lips curve into a content smile.

He wondered how it would feel to have Victim in his arms and Ulbert by his other side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kufufufufu... ◥(ฅº￦ºฅ)◤
> 
> How's the sample of Adalbert's sadistic side from another person's POV? He loves playing mental games with his victims until they break. Adalbert's victims would do anything to escape from him, be they leave their friends behind or push others off the metaphorical boat. The second portion of the hunt was quite rushed, but I hope you guys enjoyed it.
> 
> Please, tell me your thoughts. There will be more in the future, so I hope you guys aren't squeamish about detailed psychological and physical tortures. Nyeh heh heh heh heh! (￣▽￣)ゞ


	7. Chapter 7

The Staff Canteen, unlike the last time he was here, was now  _packed_  with the many denizens of Nazarick, all enjoying their breakfast peacefully together without fussing about mundane things such as race or occupation.

Adalbert remained standing at a shadowy part of the entrance, simply gazing at the NPCs' bright expressions as they chattered and ate. It made his heart soften ( _and ache_ ) at such liveliness.

Truthfully, he was torn with indecision.

The reason why he hesitated to enter was because he did not want to break such a homely atmosphere. Adalbert knew that the second he was seen, all would fall to their knees in worshipful respect - just like when a company's president was to enter the karaoke room, the subordinates would inevitably quieten down.

Demiurge remained a silent shadow, hands folded neatly behind his back as his metallic tail moved languidly behind of him. Adalbert wondered if the Arch-Devil knew of his thoughts and was being tactful. He wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

Despite Demiurge being created as an ideal presentation of  _evil_ , the very definition of a cruel demonic being, Ulbert made sure that his son would care deeply for those who were of Nazarick origin. The chuuni was fond of ' _soft only to those they care about and_ _diabolic to those they gave no shite about_ ' twisted characters.

".egruimeD ,amas-trebladA ,yaled eht rof ezigolopa I"  _[I apologize for making you wait, Adalbert-sama, Demiurge.]_

Adalbert needed to blink twice in order for his brain to properly interpret the language of Angels, Enochian. As soon as he did, however, he gave a big smile (hidden by his mask) and shook his head at the bright pink, one-meter floating fetus with an angelic halo above his head and a pair of featherless stick wings on his back.

Victim was an NPC he was deeply fond of. His most precious child and an important trump card in defending the Great Tomb of Nazarick (despite many of the other guild members, Momonga-ani included, feeling discomforted over the deliberate martyr status).

Victim was also the most undervalued Floor Guardian in the opinion of those who tried to conquer Nazarick, and in the end, they paid a heavy price for underestimating their enemy. Those 1500 arsehats were proof of how godly the fetus's buffs, debuffs, and movement restriction skill (the best AOE disable skill to be more precise) were.

With just this sole NPC's sacrifice, it was possible to turn the tide against thousands of other Players. Victim was both ' _weak'_  and ' _strong'_. But ultimately, Adalbert did not wish for Victim to sacrifice himself in this New World without first confirming that revival was possible.

The second Victim was within easy reach, Adalbert grabbed the Angel and hugged him to his chest like a teddy bear. This was the norm back when YGGDRASIL was a game - to use this particular Guardian as a pillow or a doll whenever he visited the 8th Floor. At times, he would even amuse himself by allowing his avatar to hang off of the floating fetus in a similar manner to a leech.

"You have nothing to apologize for. How are you, Victim?" He tried to make his voice as gentle and soothing as possible, but, as per usual, it came out flat and dry.

"?droL ym ,uoy tuoba tahW .gniksa rof uoy knahT .llew ma I"  _[I am well. Thank you for asking. What about you, my Lord?]_

"I am doing well as well, thank you. Now that you're here... Demiurge, would you be so kind as to get me a plate of cherry pancakes and a pot of matcha tea?"

"Of course, my Lord. And what shall I get you, Victim?" Demiurge tilted his head slightly to the side as he asked.

".esaelp ,eciuj egnaro fo ssalg a dna allidaseuq pmirhS"  _[Shrimp quesadilla and a glass of orange juice, please.]_

"Understood. I'll return soon." Demiurge left shortly after bowing elegantly, his tail swishing lazily behind of him like a cat's.

Adalbert waited until everyone's eyes were on the new arrival before he slipped into the Staff Canteen unseen, his footsteps inaudible and his presence muted. He immediately made his way to the least occupied corner, sat down, and placed Victim on his lap.

Whilst he waited, he rubbed Victim's head to pass the time, enjoying the soft purring he could hear coming from the Sacrificial Fetus.

 _Oh, right_. Before he could forget (again), he swiftly Messaged Albedo.

{Albedo. Are you there?}

{Yes, Adalbert Cross-sama. What can your loyal servant do for you?}

{Are you available this evening?}

{I am.}

{Would you care to join me for dinner?}

{O-of course, my Lord! It would be a great honor!}

{Mm. I'll see you at 5 PM in Momonga-ani's office, then. End Message}

He ended the Message function just in time to see Demiurge settling down across from him, their trays already placed atop the table (there were even two butterscotch and one tiramisu shooters for dessert!). The Arch-Devil chose a simple yet balanced breakfast composed of a croissant sandwich with a salad as a side dish. The aroma of his espresso was strong when he raised his mug for a drink.

Adalbert allowed Victim to float to Demiurge's side, where the Angel used his adorably tiny hands to grab a slice of quesadilla, the food looking gigantic when compared to his small body. Adalbert removed his mask and instantaneously hid a content smile behind his cup of matcha tea.

Eating with family was truly calming to one's heart. It was too bad Momonga-ani was now an undead.

They enjoyed a lovely breakfast together, and after being coaxed by Adalbert, Demiurge managed to relax enough that the three were able to talk about mundane things to pass the time.

* * *

Time passed by swiftly as he sat upon Momonga's chair and worked on his report (after a nap, of course). He didn't own a personal office so he was left with no choice but to do his work here.

Sebas has already left with Solution to infiltrate the outside world on Momonga's order, so the one who was nominated to serve him by his side today was Shizu Delta (he teleported away from Kyouhukou every time he saw that particular NPC rushing towards him).

Before, it had been a normal maid by the name of Foire. However, despite the Homunculus maid's dedication, she was, unfortunately, affected by his Somnolent Miasma and was knocked unconscious as soon as ten minutes had passed by. Even the Eight-Edge Assassins had fallen prey to his horrid  _stench_  after an hour of shadowing him, them falling down from the ceiling like dead flies.

So without further ado, Shizu Delta was the one who was selected to serve him for today. From what he had heard, other than the Guardians with their high resistance stats and the undead or those from a race which not need breathe, Yuri Alpha and CZ2128 Delta would be alternating since they were the only ones left by the process of elimination. The Homunculus maids were devastated by the news - much to Adalbert's secret (and mean) amusement.

_Knock. Knock._

He didn't raise his head even when he heard the knocks, simply murmuring a soft 'enter'. One of the two guards that were standing outside slipped into the office and announced that Albedo was seeking an audience with him. He waved a nonchalant hand in agreement and went back to writing side notes.

"I've come, Adalbert Cross-sama."

At Albedo's kindly voice, Adalbert gestured for her to take a seat without taking his eyes off of the papers on Momonga's mahogany desk. He was almost done with reading Neuronist's latest findings so he would rather complete his task at hand before doing anything else.

The king of procrastination he may be, but his mindset would always be  _'_ _One needs to be fast to be lazy'_  first and foremost.

After informing the Special Intelligence Collector of the newest Intel he had wanted her to extract from their  _esteemed guests_ , she managed to do so in under an hour. The reports handed in were commendable enough for him to ponder on what reward he could bestow onto her.

"Shizu. Bring in the dishes I have chosen for dinner." He drawled as he picked up the last of Neuronist's paperwork.

"Yes, my Lord." The battle maid replied in an equally flat tone, bowed in a 45-degree angle, and walked out of the office without a change in back posture.

"Give me a moment, Albedo. I'll be done soon." He peeked at her from under his lashes. His actions, somehow, brought a bigger smile to her face, much to his bewilderment.

"You need not rush on my account, my Lord. Please, take your time."

"Very well."

Adalbert did not bother to act polite. He simply agreed before he went back to his reading, wanting to finish as soon as possible so that he could laze about for the rest of the day. He made a few notes here and there as he went through the paper, humming once in a while whenever he reached an interesting point.

It was only when the Automaton maid wheeled in the dishes five minutes later did Adalbert put down his pen and stood from his seat. Upon seeing him on his feet, Albedo was quick to follow suit and bowed, a graceful smile playing on her lips. He nodded back to her in greeting and proceeded to sit across from her.

"Sit Albedo. I apologize for making you wait." He took off his mask as Shizu went about setting the many Chinese dishes atop the table. They both did not blink an eye as Shizu stood back-straight to Adalbert's right after she was done, ready to serve him at a moment's notice.

"Not at all! For you, my Lord, I would wait for even millennia." She replied matter-of-factly; as if it was totally expected of her to do something so farfetched.

 _Uwaa_...

Adalbert sweatdropped as he laughed drily, not really sure how else to react to that exaggerated(?) claim. So he decided to move their conversation elsewhere lest this be turned into an awkward affair.

"Are you curious about why I invited you for dinner?"

"That has been on my mind, yes, but anything you wish of me, I shall fulfill with the utmost of pleasure and honor."

Again, he couldn't help but sweatdrop.

He was unaccustomed to this kind of servile attitude being directed at him. Or better yet, he simply wasn't used to holding actual conversations with former dolls that only followed his commands due to their artificial intelligence system. It was... a great feeling for the latter, but awkward for the former.

The only thing missing was his fellow guild members. He only wished they were here so that they were able to enjoy this marvelous experience of speaking to their creations alongside Momonga-ani and him.

"Aa, right... Well, I wanted to apologize to you," He lowered his head slightly to show his sincerity, "The way I talked to you back at Carne Village was... I've regretted my poor choice of words, Albedo. I understand if you are to hold a grudge against me-"

He cut himself off when Albedo  _practically_  teleported directly to his left and dropped to one knee, her expression fierce whilst her body language showed how agitated she was.

He was about to apologize again for somehow offending her, but when he saw Albedo's mouth part, he kept his own lips sealed, readying himself for her complaints of being treated unfairly.

What came out of her mouth a moment later, however, shocked him into silence. He did not even notice how Shizu had followed Albedo's lead and dropped to her knee as well.

"Adalbert Cross-sama," She began in a tone he could not exactly recognize, "Please forgive this one for stopping you right there. But I am unable to tolerate you bowing your head to me! I am your loyal subject, my Lord! No matter what you say, or what you do to me, I have no right to express anything but my undying fidelity to you.

"This,  _here_ , is where my eyes meet yours. This is where I stand. Please, Adalbert Cross-sama, please do not lower your head for someone as unworthy as me. It is I who was in the wrong. Despite always being in your demi-human form, you were able to receive the title of Muspelheim's World Champion. I know, for a fact, that you are able to defeat  _any of us_  Guardians even after restricting yourself to level 85.

"I... admit that I have overreacted. This New World... I admit my fears, my Lord. I am afraid, so deeply fearful of the endless negative possibilities. Adalbert Cross-sama and Ainz-sama  _were_ immortal back in YGGDRASIL.  _Truly_   _immortal_  and unable to permanently be erased. The potential risks here was what scared me into losing my senses and talking so impolitely to you.

"My mind keeps supplying me with an inappropriate and endless amount of images and words of: What if my Lord's immortality does not work as it did back in YGGDRASIL? What if my inactions caused you harm? What if you were to meet an enemy, a level 100 human, and you were on your own? What if we came too late and all that was left of you were ashes? I would have never been able to forgive myself if my mistakes had gotten you... killed.

"I would never be able to look Ainz-sama and Demiurge in the eye if anything were to happen to you. So I am afraid, my Lord. And my fear... it clouded my senses. I know my excuses are irrational. But I sincerely apologize for losing control of my emotions. It was misguided and unseemly of me to have tried to control your actions.

"I... I'm also fearful that Adalbert Cross-sama and Ainz-sama would leave us at any point of time if we displease either of you. I do not know how we have dissatisfied the other Supreme Beings, but, please, I beg of you, my Lord... Please do not leave us! I would do anything - even if I have to change myself to fit both of your standards!"

By the end of her speech, Adalbert was left speechless.

He stared blankly at the still kneeling Guardian Overseer (and Shizu), not knowing how else to reply to her. Truthfully, he was beyond touched that Albedo cared for him to the extent of fearing for his safety - to the extent that she lost control of her emotions.

But, still. Adalbert now felt twice as guilty for shutting her concerns down like a cold-blooded and heartless arsehole.

Also, he previously did not know of her innermost fears. Being abandoned by his guildmates... It seems it wasn't only Momonga and him that experienced this. Even the NPCs felt that they did something wrong and made the other Players leave YGGDRASIL.

He...  _needed_  to reassure her that Momonga-ani and he would  _never_  intentionally leave them. If it was not out of their hands, if it was within their powers, they would stay till the very end (and they  _did_ ).

"Albedo... Please, rise." He spoke softly, knowing that no matter how hard he tries, he would not be able to control his tone of voice to be anything but a monotone. So the only way to convey his gratitude was to speak with softness whilst pushing the emotions to his eyes. They were, after all, the windows to his soul.

When she made no move to do so, he grabbed her by an arm and pulled her to her feet. Then he guided her to her seat. All the whilst, he was oblivious to her inner turmoil and her reddened cheeks. He had also reached for Shizu, intending to do the same, but the battle maid was already standing straight back next to his chair, so he shrugged and returned to his own seat.

"I now understand your concerns, Albedo. And you are half right. I was immortal back in YGGDRASIL. But it was because that was not my original world."

"Not your original world, my Lord? I know that it is inappropriate of me to want to know more about both Ainz-sama and Adalbert Cross-sama, but... Please, Adalbert Cross-sama, this servant of yours would like to understand you better to be able to serve you with the best I can provide."

Adalbert quirked his lips into a mystifying smile as he gestured lazily at the food.

"How about we converse as we eat?"

"Yes, of course, my Lord! Thank you for the meal." Albedo returned his smile, a tad bit shy, as she prepared a plate of food. She then presented it to him (which he accepted with a nod of thanks since he felt too lazy to get his own plate) before she started the second plate, this time for herself.

"Shizu," He suddenly was reminded that there was another occupant, so turned to her.

The combat maid in question bowed slightly to show her attention.

"Should I leave, my Lord?"

"You are welcome to stay. However, you shan't speak of this to anyone - not even your sisters - without my or Momonga-ani's permission."

"Understood."

"Good. That applies to you as well, Albedo. For now, I grant you permission to convey our current conversation to the other Guardians and Sebas - and only them. Demiurge would then be the one to inform Pandora's Actor."

After getting them to swear their agreement, he nodded in satisfaction and used his chopsticks to swipe a couple of steamed chicken and brought it to his lips. After eating a few more bites, he finally continued the conversation.

"We  _Players_  are what you would call  _world travelers._ We wander in and out of worlds-"  _games_  "-at our own leisure; for purposes of entertainment, amusement, income, or whatever else is in our heads at that particular point in time. Momonga-ani and I have visited many worlds before YGGDRASIL. In all of those worlds, we were  _literally_ immortal.

"We are able to be killed, of course, but our deaths were only temporarily. We would drop a level or two and revive automatically - and that was the only consequence we had. Our true essence in those worlds could not be erased in a more permanent state."  _Unless the player in question was banned or blacklisted, of course._

Shizu's entire focus was on him whilst Albedo leaned faintly forward as she listened with her utmost attentiveness, her hands and mouth not once stopping their movements as she stared at him with eager eyes, her cheeks slightly bulging with food.

It made him bite his lower lip to prevent a full-blown cackle from escaping him. Who knew that a level 100 Succubus would act like a child waiting for her parent to continue her bedtime story. It was beyond endearing.

"We Players come from a world called RL-" _Real Life_  "- and RL... was not a pleasant place to be born in. The second I hit 7 years of age, Momonga-ani took me to travel to other worlds with him. I met Ulbert when I was in one of those worlds a few years later. But that story... Is a story for another time."

He took a tea bowl of matcha that had been traditionally prepared by Shizu just seconds prior and brought it to his lips. And as expected of the maids from Nazarick; the tea was perfect in every way.

"Traveling from world to world was a  _Skill_  all Players have-"  _if they have enough money, that was_  "-and we would select a favorite world to spend most of our time in. Momonga-ani and I chose YGGDRASIL after many years of world hopping. Apart from Ulbert, YGGDRASIL was where we met the other 38 Players and created the guild Ainz Ooal Gown together."

He closed his eyes and reminisce about the fun times they had; raiding and conquering dungeons, hunting and grinding monsters, looting and plundering other guilds, and many more enjoyable moments with all of Ainz Ooal Gown.

He then shook his head and shoved some fried vegetables into his mouth. It tasted bittersweet. Just like his memories.

"You need not worry about us leaving, Albedo. This is, perhaps, the last world we may be able to travel to. That Skill-"  _console_  "-that allows us to traverse to other worlds... After coming to this New World, that Skill has been lost to Momonga-ani and I. We have tried to use it after YGGDRASIL came to an end - when we just arrived at this New World. However, we could not."

Due to him being busy with putting more foot onto his plate, he missed Albedo's and Shizu's pleased expression at the news of his loss of 'Skill'.

"Indeed. It is as Albedo has theorized. We may not have retained our immortality here just as we did not in RL. However, even if I were to die, theoretically, Momonga-ani would still be able to resurrect me as he is the Overlord of death. So you need not worry about me. Have faith in both of your lords. We would never intentionally leave any of you behind.

"I would rather not speak on behalf of my comrades. However, rest assured that you and the rest of the NPCs did nothing wrong. My comrades... left not because they were displeased or dissatisfied with you lot."

He couldn't help his brows from furrowing, the feeling of abandonment and betrayal stabbing him in the chest. Regardless, he was quick to smother those negative emotions, not wanting to taint the positive memories of his comrades with such ugliness.

"From what I know, three-quarters of my comrades left to continue traveling to other worlds, staying for however long or short they desired. Please, do not blame them. They are free spirits. They can never be anchored to one place for long. I'm already grateful that they stayed in YGGDRASIL for so many years before moving on. I'm also happy that they left behind so many of their creations to remember them by."

It was hypocritic of him since Adalbert himself felt hurt at their departure, but he couldn't help but make excuses on their behalf, not wanting the NPCs to feel the same as he did.

However, he was not lying, per se, as that was the true nature of gamers in general. Not many were dedicated to one game like Momonga and Adalbert were - sooner or later, Players would eventually grow bored and search for newer released games. It was miraculous enough that the two brothers lasted for twelve whole years playing the same game.

"For the remaining one-quarter; most of them had stopped traveling to other worlds altogether, wanting to focus on RL more. Whilst a small number... They are no longer with us."

The clawed hand that was holding the chopsticks trembled as he was reminded of the time he devastatingly received Bellriver-sempai's funeral invitation, where all of Ainz Ooal Gown attended as their very first offline meeting. And then shortly after that, he had to write Ulbert's funeral invitations because Adalbert and Momonga were what was left of Ulbert's family.

That was the guild's second offline meeting.

Then there was a third.

And a fourth.

Now that Momonga-ani and he were gone, their human bodies left behind to rot back in RL, would there a fifth Ainz Ooal Gown offline meeting? But then, who would write their funeral invitations for them? Who would pay their funeral for them? Would anyone even find them since they did not have a good relationship with their neighbors?

 _Crack_.

Adalbert's face was emotionless as he stared blankly at the broken chopsticks in his hand. Without checking to see the two NPCs' reaction, he set the broken utensil aside and unperturbedly swiped his mask to cover his facial expression, his very own  _emotional suppression_  having activated.

"Actually, it would be wiser if we kept that last bit a secret between the three of us," he gave the two ladies a bitter smile from behind the safety of his mask, though he had to look away from them as he could not hide the pain from showing in his eyes, "Forgive me for souring our meal. It was not my intention. Do continue without me, Albedo. I'm long due for a nap."

Without waiting for their response to his abrupt words, he teleported to the outside of his bedchamber and sneaked past Kyouhukou. The giant cockroach made him shudder in revulsion, but he was too emotionally drained and lethargic to find another place to sleep without worries of being awoken by flying abominations.

Kicking off his boots, he slithered underneath his covers and wrapped himself into a burrito. He was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

* * *

_"I don't want you to remember how broken I am now. But... Please, Toshi,_ don't forget me _. Please remember vividly how I used to be. Please remember who I was. Please remember the person who lies behind this beaten shell of mine."_

_His best friend was only skin and bones as he lay weakly on the hospital bed, the rueful smile playing on his lips made Satoshi want to yell out how unfair the world was being to them. It was vastly different from the handsome and bright grin his best friend used to wear on a daily basis just half a year ago._

_Satoshi rubbed circles into the gaunt man's sunken cheek, his own smile strained as he fought to keep his tears at bay._

_"I promise. I'll never forget how bright you shone to me. I won't defile your memory, Alain. I swear to you." He solemnly swore as he stared into his best friend's tired eyes._

_"Buahahahaha!" Alain suddenly burst into mad cackles, his whole face expressing how happy he was, "Good! If you hadn't sworn, I would've promised to haunt you till your last breath!"_

_"... Did you have to go and ruin this perfectly beautiful moment of ours with your dramatics?" He asked drily with a roll of his eyes, discreetly blinking more to keep his tears from falling._

_"Obviously! For I, the great and supreme Demon Lord Ulbert Alain Odle, shall forever ignore such gargantuan maudlinity!"_

_"Argh," He pretended to sneer in distaste whilst inwardly pleased at how energetic his friend was being, "This damn chuuni! And there's no such word as_ maudlinity _!"_

_"If I say there is such a word, so mote it be!" Alain turned his nose up as if he was an arrogant king looking down on an uneducated peasant._

_"..." Satoshi was speechless and could only facepalm to express his thoughts on that._

_"No no no. You were supposed to say 'amen', my dear Toshi-chan~" His best friend tapped his nose, making him scrunch it as he swatted the offending digit away from his face._

_"Aa... Give me a sec. I'll go to the church and get a bottle of holy water to chase the demon out of you."_

_"Huh? Water you saying? Just go to the sink and boil the hell out of the tap water!"_

_"Satoru-ani is right. You_ are _insane."_

_After a few seconds of glaring at each other, they both cracked, guffawing with tears of mirth leaking from their eyes._

_..._

_"Satoshi? Shouldn't you be inside with him? Or did you two perhaps have another row?" His brother kneeled in front of his seat and gently tilted his chin up when he did not respond._

_Satoru's eyes widened when he saw Satoshi's lifeless expression and vacant eyes. They were leaking fat beads of tears down his pale cheeks._

_"Otouto... Is... Is he...?" Satoru asked hoarsely, his eyes full of denial and sadness._

_"Yes. He's gone." He answered breathlessly, his bottom lip trembling at his own words, "He's gone, onii-chan...! He's_ gone _!"_

 _At the confirmation of his quasiplatonic partner's death, he was immediately pulled into a tight embrace. They both_ _didn't care as he bawled and sunk his fingers into his brother's clothed back, trying futilely to seek a way to erase the agony_   _and_   _desolation he was currently feeling in his heart._

_The smell of disinfectant had been brutally burnt into his very being after these past few painful months, but with his big brother's close proximity, he was able to finally forget about where they were and took comfort in his brother's strong arms. Satoru's scent has always had a soothing effect._

_If he felt a wet patch growing on his right shoulder - it must be his imagination._

_..._

_37 adults were crowding in the Suzuki brothers' apartment. The majority of them had tears in their eyes whilst the rest were downright sobbing as they sat, circled around an urn with a picture frame of a man, smiling arrogantly at the camera, situated beside of it._

_Satoshi was leaning against his older brother, his face burrowed into Satoru's chest as the latter hugged him tightly. His eyes were swollen from the days of continuous crying and his muffled whimpers were heartbreaking - it only spurred the rest of the guild to mourn harder at their loss of another comrade._

_..._

_Ulbert was smiling fondly at Satoshi, his eyes full of warmth as he listened attentively to Adalbert's babbling about how amazing the NPCs were now that they were alive and not just mere data._

_After talking about the rest of Nazarick and complaining about Momonga-ani's evilness of having made Kyouhukou Adalbert's babysitter, he informed Ulbert that they should visit Demiurge whilst he continued to inform his best friend about his secret plans for this New World._

_Just as he wrapped his clawed hand around Ulbert's wrist, his best friend slowly shook his head and smiled ruefully at him. Before he could ask the other Demon what was wrong, Ulbert slipped out of his hold, mouthed out a farewell, and turned to leave._

_Adalbert rushed to follow, but the distance between them kept growing. And no matter how loud he yelled for Ulbert to_ come back please don't leave him _, the latter kept walking, his back growing smaller and smaller..._

* * *

"Ulbert!"

Adalbert woke up with a cry, a clawed hand reaching out as if to futilely hold onto his best friend's fading silhouette. When he realized where he was and what he had been dreaming about, his expression twisted into a pained grimace as his eyes shone with tears.

"Ulbert... Ulbert... Alain...  _Alain_...!"

He covered his face and kept repeating the name of his best friend and quasiplatonic partner. Despite the emotional suppression trying its best to repress his inner turmoil, his heart continued to throb painfully with every beat, the grief he felt overriding his every sense.

"O-Onii-chan... W-where are y-you...? Don't...  _Don't leave_   _me t-too_..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Quasiplatonic partner** \- A term for people who are in a relationship that exceeds society's boundaries for friendship, but do not experience romantic attraction for one another. Basically, a best friend forever till death do them part.
> 
> Well, was this tiny bit of angst enjoyable to you guys? Truthfully, I didn't intend to end this chapter on a sad note. The dinner with Albedo was supposed to end with both parties feeling contented and satisfied (not with Adalbert being triggered!)... And the very next day, Adalbert would be out of Nazarick; progressing this story's plot and mingling with the 'insects'. Sigh. I suppose that that would have to wait until the next chapter. 
> 
> Oh, and yeah; Ulbert's real-life name is Alain because I'm uncreative. Just in case anyone was wondering.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohmigewdness...!_(┐「ε:)_ I'm really sorry that this took a while to update (and for how short this chapter is!). I was doing my clinical placement so I had no time to write anything but a rough draft! The horror!

"Where are you going?"

At the sudden monotonous voice and the unique fragrance whiff from behind of him, Demiurge's only outward reaction to the surprise was the discreet twitch of his tail. He composed himself within a split second and swiftly turned to face the speaker whilst also getting down to one knee.

"My Lord. I am on my way to fulfill my duties to Ainz-sama."

There was a moment of silence as Adalbert-sama simply stood within the shadows of the hallway, his Lord's stealth ability too masterful for him to be able to detect or see anything but a silhouette despite their close proximity.

Despite Demiurge's inability to read his Lord's current state of mind, he felt that something was amiss. Whilst outwardly calm and waiting for his Lord to speak, his thoughts were running a mile a minute, trying to find a cause for this uncanny (and despondent) atmosphere Adalbert-sama was emitting.

"Will you be leaving Nazarick?" His Lord finally spoke, his soft words bringing forth more conjectures to Demiurge's fretting mind.

"Indeed. May I ask if my Lord has any orders for me to comply with whilst I am temporarily away?"

If Demiurge was a lesser Demon, he would have been visibly tensed with all the concern and worry he was currently experiencing. But because he was created to be equanimous by his two reverential creators, he showed no visible signs that he was distressed by Adalbert-sama's odd behavior, his cunning smile not once leaving his lips.

He dared not show anything but cool-headedness when in the presence of his Lord, fearing that acting as anything but unfazed perfection as per his  _settings_ would cause Adalbert-sama to be disappointed in him. To let down Adalbert-sama's expectation of him was his greatest fear.

He desired that their current relationship to remain as it was; even if he had to put on a mask to bury all of his insecurities and loneliness (there was not a single day passed did he not think of Ulbert-sama's whereabouts, if he had done something wrong to upset his other creator into abandoning him, and if Adalbert-sama would one day leave him as well).

Never would he admit that in the deepest parts of his mind, after the Great Tomb of Nazarick was somehow brought to this New World, Demiurge felt grateful.

He knew that it was selfish of him to think of their current unknown situation as a hope-filled chance, knowing that Ainz-sama and Adalbert-sama missed the other Supreme Beings that may be somewhere back in the vast world of YGGDRASIL, but he couldn't help it.

He feared to regress to being an observer again like back then.

Demiurge never wanted to experience that ever again. He wanted to continue interacting with his Lords and to never become a statue or decorative piece ever again.

 _'If only Ulbert-sama was transported as well'_ , he thought bitterly.

Demiurge was quick to discard such wishful thinking in favor of keenly evaluating his Lord as the Supreme Being took a step forward and away from the shadows. There have always been dark circles underneath Adalbert-sama's eyes due to his nature as a Sloth Demon, but now, Demiurge felt that the cause of those under eye bags was not due to physiology.

Despite the mask covering 3/4 of his Lord's imposing features, Adalbert-sama appeared more fatigued than indolent. Even his silver locks were more tousled than usual - which made Demiurge want to fret all over it with a brush in hand.

"How long will you be away for?" Adalbert-sama asked rather than reply to his question.

"More than a day but less than a week - for now," he answered obediently without feeling offended, "I sincerely apologize for being unable to give you a definite duration."

Again, his Lord fell into silence.

Demiurge took this time to critically analyze Adalbert-sama's body language and eyes.

However, as expected from one of the persons who brought him into existence, Adalbert-sama's thoughts were unreadable - much to Demiurge's frustration. He was severely disappointed at his own lack of observational skills. He took a mental note to improve himself in the future so that he could be of more use to both Adalbert-sama and Ainz-sama.

Perhaps he should ask Sebas for some tips on how to better serve their masters after they both returned from their respective missions...

A butler's duty was to, after all, remain by their master's side (unless stated otherwise) and predict whatever their master desires. And as a servant of the Supreme Beings, they must all do their utmost best to never give their two Lords a chance to cast them aside due to their incompetence.

Adalbert-sama stood silent for a long time - with Demiurge waiting patiently - before he commanded with authority, leaving no room for arguments (not that Demiurge would rebuke any of the orders given to him by Adalbert-sama), "Follow."

With that said, Adalbert-sama turned sharply on his heeled combat boots and disappeared into a Gate that appeared without Demiurge's notice. He followed without a word, hands clasped behind his back and tail moving lazily from side to side.

As soon as he stepped out of the Gate, his pair of diamond eyes that were always hidden behind his glasses instinctively scanned the surrounding for any signs of threats that could potentially bring harm to his Lord. It was then he realized that they were standing outside the Treasury.

At the familiarity of this area, he relaxed and obediently followed after Adalbert-sama as the latter entered the Treasury and stopped just in front of where Pandora's Actor sat on the sofa.

When Pandora's Actor saw them, the Doppelgänger immediately jumped to his feet and executed a flawless salute with military precision.

"Welcome, Adalbert-sama, to the area that I guard - the Treasury~!" Pandora's Actor bowed with flair before he turned to Demiurge, "And you as well, Demiurge."

Unlike the other Guardians, Nazarick's Financial Manager has a peculiar accent - and if he was not wrong, he had overheard Ainz-sama once calling it a  _German_  (whatever that was) accent once upon a time.

Demiurge nodded at the dramatic Area Guardian as a greeting whilst Adalbert-sama simply waved nonchalantly.

Demiurge's perceptive eyes, however, caught how stiff the wave was. He was beginning to get awfully anxious about whatever was distressing his Lord so - or to be more accurate, he wanted to know  _who_  exactly he should be burying.

After Ulbert-sama has altogether stopped appearing in the Tomb, Demiurge had become overly protective of Adalbert-sama.

"Hold this for me, please, Pandora's Actor." Adalbert-sama took off the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown and dropped it into Pandora's Actor's stretched out palm.

"Yes, my Lord~" The Financial Manager tipped his hat before taking a step aside to let Adalbert-sama pass.

When Demiurge made to follow, Adalbert-sama stopped him.

"Wait here with Pandora's Actor. I'll be back shortly."

"Understood."

The two watched as Adalbert-sama disappeared into the secured chamber before turning to each other. Demiurge's smile turned soft as he patted Pandora's Actor's shoulder.

"Are you well?"

"I've never been better~"

"That's good to hear. Now, what have you been up to as of late, Pandora's Actor?" He asked whilst guiding the other to the sofa. He then sat opposite from the Doppelgänger, one leg crossed over the other in an elegant manner.

"After the outré news you have brought me, I've been coming up with new defenses against intruders. Everything's going  _wunderbar_  so far so I have no worries~"After the cheery response, Pandora's Actor's whole demeanor suddenly changed as he seriously asked, "Now, tell me, _Mein Bruder in der Ewigkeit_ , what has happened to make Adalbert-sama so dour?  _Wen muss ich töten_?"

He allowed his shoulders to drop as he sighed out loud, not bothering to keep up an appearance of sophistication with Pandora's Actor - someone who he was close to ever since they both came into existence. They were practically brothers, what with their creators being brothers themselves. Even Ulbert-sama was under the umbrella of Ainz-sama and Adalbert-sama's brotherhood.

"It pains me to admit that I haven't the faintest idea. Adalbert-sama was fine when Victim and I had breakfast with him the previous day. I am clueless as to what has happened after to have made Adalbert-sama so dispirited in such a short amount of time."

He loathed being blind to any situation. And seeing that Pandora's Actor was not one to leave the Treasury without express permission from either of their Lords, the latter would be oblivious to any of Nazarick's ongoing unless informed by yours truly.

Most of the time, when Demiurge came to the Treasury, it was to seek an outlet for his frustrations or to seek a third party's perspective to solve a problem. Now, however, he simply felt useless.

"What about your appearance here? What has made both Adalbert-sama and you come down to my humble dwelling?" Pandora's Actor asked whilst crossing his arms.

Demiurge's thoughts were conjuring ideas upon ideas, but ultimately, he came up with a blank - which was not a surprise. Adalbert-sama has always been someone that was unpredictable and puzzling, even to his creations.

"I am unsure. One moment I was making my way out of Nazarick to fulfill Ainz-sama's orders - and the next I was asked to follow Adalbert-sama. I reckon that Adalbert-sama has brought me here to bestow an item that could help with my mission. Perhaps you could enlighten me on that front?"

Pandora's Actor might be highly eccentric, but he was the one who was trusted to guard all of the treasures the Supreme Beings owned, the World Items included. If it was anyone who could shine a light to what Adalbert-sama was looking for in here, it was him.

"I'll need to know the details of your mission before I could make an accurate guess. But before that - Ainz-sama? I do not believe I have heard of a Supreme Being with that name." The Doppelgänger tilted his head to show his confusion.

Demiurge blinked. It had slipped his mind that Pandora's Actor was out of the loop.

"Momonga-sama has declared himself as Ainz Ooal Gown-sama just recently. My apologies - I will be sure to keep you as updated as I can in the future. As for the mission-"

He paused mid-sentence when the doors opened. Both Pandora's Actor and Demiurge knelt immediately.

Adalbert-sama came out striding silently until he was in front of Demiurge. It was then he took notice that his Lord was holding a crimson ring with black runes inscribed on it in his hands.

"Stand up and be at ease, the both of you," Adalbert-sama commanded monotonously, "Bring your tail forward, Demiurge."

As soon as he did, Adalbert-sama gently pushed the ring (that resized itself) to fit around his tail. It sat snugly at the end of his tail's spiked tip, giving off an ominous aura. And then Adalbert-sama took a step back and opened a Gate.

"Demiurge. I order that you keep that on you at all times. Especially so when you are away from the Great Tomb of Nazarick for an extended amount of time. And... I expect to see you in a week the latest."

"My Lord?"

"You're dismissed," Just before Adalbert-sama took a step into the Gate, ignoring how bewildered Demiurge was, he looked at Pandora's Actor over his shoulder, "Have you mastered  _it_  yet?"

Pandora's Actor saluted, "I will master that you have imparted me soon, my Lord!"

"Good."

And Adalbert-sama left just like that, leaving behind two very unbalanced individuals.

Demiurge's eyebrows were furrowed as his mind tried to keep up with all that was happening whilst Pandora's Actor took a step closer to identify the crimson ring on his tail.

At the sharp inhale, he raised an eyebrow at the Doppelgänger. As expected, the latter started to spin and twirl as he commented feverishly on the item, which only made Demiurge dizzy from the onslaught of information and the man whirling all over the place.

 _Ah_ , for Adalbert-sama to gift him something so precious... It seems that Adalbert-sama was truly looking out for him.

His lips curled upwards as he listened intently to his brother's flowery words about the item (whilst at the same time ignoring how Pandora's Actor was striking strange poses every now and then).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you guys have enjoyed this chapter! I was super pumped about showing all of you a sneak peek into Demiurge's head. I had wanted to write about Albedo's and Shizu's reaction to the previous chapter as well, but I couldn't get my plot bunnies to co-operate with me ┐(´д`)┌. Sorry 'bout that~
> 
> Translation via Google translation because I'm not German:  
> Wunderbar - Wonderful  
> Mein Bruder in der Ewigkeit - My eternal brother  
> Wen muss ich töten - Who do I have to kill?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha... I seem to never learn from my mistakes orz. I was finalizing this chapter on FF site and when I pressed the SAVE button, it gave me an Error 503. So, yeah... I had to re-write my final draft and re-edit it, again ◔_◔

After informing Shizu that he desired to be undisturbed for the rest of the week, Adalbert sighed tiredly as he kneaded his temples, wishing to All-Father that reality would just stop spinning. Or rather, if his emotional suppression would  _properly_  activate so that he could get the fuck out of this unexpected funk of his.

Despite how calm Demiurge appeared to be, he knew that he had unnerved and unsettled the Arch-Devil with his angsty mood. He didn't want his best friend's creation to worry about his intense mood swings. Not after having promised Alain that he would take care of Demiurge to the best of his abilities until he was unable to do so any longer.

And now that he was literally a demonic being, he would probably live a  _very_  long life. Thus, he needed to get his shite together.

After having gifted Demiurge the tail ring in the case of any undesirable situation was to occur whilst the Guardian was out of his sight, he headed back to his bedchambers (avoiding the abomination still stationed outside his door) and changed into his human form.

Adalbert had decided to leave Nazarick for a bit to clear his head, only returning when Demiurge was done with his mission.

And when he returns, he would continue with his 'punishment' of having a cockroach for a babysitter. For now, he just needed to get out of the Great Tomb and make himself scarce before he accidentally hurts someone (be it physically or emotionally) out of misplaced anger.

Having donned on his all-black tracksuit, calf-high armored heeled boots, Járngreipr [1], a navy blue scarf, and a pair of oversized circular glasses, he opened a Gate (seeing that he had forgotten to retrieve his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown from Pandora's Actor) and left Nazarick without looking back. His two crossbow guns were already holstered on his thighs in their pistol form and his quiver buckled around his waist, his overall demeanor giving off an illusion of a frail, long distance, and unassuming combatant.

When he stepped out of the Gate, he surveyed his surroundings and noticed that he was just within walking distance from Carney Village. Not exactly the location he had been aiming for, but at least somewhere recognizable.

Not wanting to be seen (not that mere insects could spot him if he did not want them to), he circled the village whilst parkouring through the treetops, once in a while consulting the map Neuronist (the prisoners) had roughly sketched for him.

He didn't know for how long he traveled for, but the sun was sky high when he finally saw a change of scenery. From woodlands to manmade defensive walls and gates, as well a long queue of humans waiting impatiently to enter the city of Arwintar. Adalbert knew that he did not have any identification documents on him, so he hopped from shadow to shadow until he was safely inside.

He walked out from a stranger's shadow and blended into the crowd effortlessly, pretending that he had been inside the walls of the city from the very beginning and was not a tourist or a foreigner despite his  _literally_  out of this world clothing choice.

He could not, however, be blamed for that.

These event clothes - the tracksuit - was basically the least eye-catching equipment he has in his Item Box. If he were to use his primary set, he would undoubtedly be mistaken for a blue-blooded aristocrat - and that would be a pain in the arse for what he was intending to do soon.

Looking up from the note in his hand, he entered the Grand Arena's lobby area and headed straight for the registration booth. Luckily, he was not a day late and the queue was short. Today was the final day for the eager participants to register for the PVP tournament, AKA, the Grand Combat Tournament.

Adalbert, however, did not intend on obtaining first place.

His current goal only needed him to achieve the second or third place. The plan was to basically get recruited by a certain group and earn a shite ton of money for Nazarick whilst also enjoying the freedom to do whatever the hell he wanted without rules binding him down.

Despite Nazarick's existing state of richness, their gold from YGGDRASIL wasn't indefinite and would one day run out. And when that time comes and Ainz-ani needed to resurrect an NPC... he did not want that scenario to turn into reality.

Thus, in order to become a rich man in this New World, taking high-risk jobs (for humans) was a must (stealing from aristocrats would have been easier. However, he preferred to keep his options open and leave that as a last resort).

And one Worker team stood out the most to him.

Foresight was renowned to be obsessed with money but not greedy to the extent of backstabbing their own comrades - and their formidable reputation makes them trustworthy to the clients.

He would have preferred being as a solo Worker, but alas, he had not the reputation needed to gain those hush-hush clients that preferred to keep their identities anonymous whilst giving out huge benefits. Thus, he was making Foresight his stepping stone into the world of Workers.

After the registration was done with (they cared not for the participants' background so nothing but his name,  _Al_ , was given), Adalbert went to the INN that the prisoners said that team Foresight based at.

The Singing Apple INN was... quite  _budget_  - and that was putting it lightly, in his opinion. Personally, he thought this place quite hideous.

Adalbert did not disclose his thoughts and quietly walked up to the innkeeper, a blonde haired middle-aged woman with a voluptuous figure, and asked for a room for the duration of the tournament.

She looked him up and down, probably doubting his skinny arse to compete in such a  _life-threatening_  fighting tournament, before asking for a total of five silver and five copper coins for seven nights.

Thankfully, he had pickpocketed a pouch full of silver coins from an arrogant looking stranger on the way to this establishment so he was able to pay the innkeeper without any problems.

As soon as he entered his assigned room, made sure that there were no unwanted guests inside, and locked the door, he pulled out a giant beanbag chair and threw himself on it, completely ignoring the existence of the furniture that dared to call itself a bed.

A day passed by just like that, with him napping in his room until it was time for dinner. He had already sorted through Foresight's everyday routine (like a crazed stalker) when not on requests, so he figured he would only emerge from his room to let them have an idea that he was staying in this INN.

That was his strategy, or at least, that was what he reasoned.

Being completely surrounded by humans oddly gave him many vivid flashbacks of those times back in YGGDRASIL when he was PK-ed endlessly due to his avatar's grotesque true form - and it wasn't even a 1v1 situation. It was basically guerrilla warfare. Even a ranker such as him would not be able to hold the fort during his early days.

With a jaded sigh, he re-wrapped his scarf around the bottom half of his face and trudged down to the dining area. When he spotted Foresight, all four of them, eating and laughing merrily, he chose a table that was directly in their sight and ordered a mug of beer and a bread bowl of meat stew.

He discreetly observed them as he ate his tasteless stew in tiny bites, wanting to remain in his seat for as long as they were here.

The first person from Foresight who grabbed his attention was the purple haired half-elf (not really a surprise from someone who used to be a member of the Neo Aesthetic Movement). Despite many of the NPCs being more alluring than her, she was quite the beauty (albeit without curves) when compared to the other residents of this New World (from what he had seen thus far). And as someone who was always attracted to beautiful things, his eyes often strayed to the ranger.

The next person who grabbed his attention was Arche. His eyes, however, did not linger on her for long. Adalbert was quite indifferent to lolis in general since he wasn't one to admire a person with such a childlike body. He preferred a pretty face with a matured body - like Albedo's.

However, Albedo was created by his comrade to physically be an ideal representation of a perfect woman without blemishes. Thus, it would be highly unfair of him to compare anyone to such a beautiful gem like Albedo. In fact, she was practically a work of art by herself.

As for the two men, Hekkeran and Roberdyck... Sadly, his pair of blue eyes were practically avoiding those two since they weren't his cup of tea.

For Adalbert, his aesthetic preferences for the male specimens' were more acquired. He preferred men to be slender yet fit, beautiful yet masculine, similar to the Baharuth Empire's Emperor, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix. The rough sketches of the Emperor were very pleasing to his eye.

But back to Foresight.

Since the prisoners did not have much individual information on Foresight, merely rumors, reputation, and speculations, Adalbert wanted to get to know them on a more personal level. Despite how short-termed and temporary he would be joining Foresight for, he would rather party with those that have professional work ethics than greedy, backstabbing scumbags.

The oblivious Worker group continued their merry yet mundane conversation for  _hours_ , forcing Adalbert to endure more than just a few tasteless mugs of beer. He knew he would not be intoxicated so easily due to his high Resistance stats, but still... He was getting more and more sleepy as the night progresses.

Sloth Demons (even in their human form) weren't made to stay awake for long periods of time.

When the clock finally hit midnight and Foresight was out of sight, Adalbert was already dead on his feet.  _Aa_ , _this was why he hated stalking missions!_  The long hours were just not worth it.

Well, the silver lining was that the spying actually made a good form of distraction from his inner turmoil. It allowed for his emotional suppression to truly activate and reboot his internal CPU.

After staying for another ten minutes to prevent being too obvious about his stalking, he went back to his room and flumped into his giant beanbag chair, already dreading the idea of interacting with  _insects_  on a day to day basis come tomorrow morning.

* * *

Adalbert sat on one of the many benches in the backstage of the Grand Arena, twiddling with his fingers in  _utter boredom_.

He was waiting for his number to be called out, and since he did not see any of the Foresight members backstage with him (they probably did not register for the individual PVP tournament), he simply faded into the background and thumb wrestled with himself to fight off the sleep that was calling to him like a siren to a shipwrecked sailor.

Since there was only one arena in the whole Colosseum and too many contestants, the first phase of this year's tournament was a twelve-batch battle royale; one batch containing at least fifty combatants. To proceed to the next phase, one from each batch needed to remain conscious and  _alive_.

Basically, the first phase was to weed out the weaklings. There were no rules other than the prohibition of potions and poisons during the battles. Thus, anything goes - survival of the fittest was the law of this 'jungle'.

The second phase was a day after; a duel. The third phase was the grand finals. The fourth phase was the finals. Last but not least, the winner of the fourth phase would then have the honor of fighting the current mantle holder.

The team tournament would be on the days when the individual tournament participants were licking their wounds and healing up.

The only prize for the individual tournament was the title of Martial Lord and a rewarding gift from the Emperor. Hence, many tried to compete for that  _honor_  whenever the tournament was held. However, there was, of course, the obligation to fight by the Baharuth Empire's side whenever called for.

For the team tournament, the team that won would receive four hundred and fifty gold coins. Adalbert was envious. But alas, a solo Player such as himself would always have their woes and grievances ignored.

When the announcer  _finally_  called for his number, he made his way to the entrance with 49 others and stepped out into the arena, the crowds' cheers hurting his overly sensitive hearing.

Thankfully, he did not see anyone worth noting so he could win without showing how overpowered he was compared to the humans of this New World. Seeing that the combatants were all trying to intimate each other with unsightly glares, Adalbert stood near the edges and used his superior vision to locate Foresight, not at all interested in their petty dick-measuring contest.

Most humans here, he duly noted, were either blonde or brown haired, so it was not at all difficult to find a purple haired half-elf amongst the sea of yellow insects. She was practically attracting much attention from the audience near her with her elven beauty (although the Emperor himself was like a beacon, many females staring at him like he was a piece of steak).

Knowing from rumors and yesterday's dinner that Foresight was looking for a competent someone who could partner up with Imina as a scout, he unsheathed a pair of daggers he had just recently bought and pretended to be an Assassin/Rogue with a side job class of Gunner/Ranger.

Adalbert was considered the master of stealth back in YGGDRASIL. During Ainz Oown Goal's thriving days, he and Nishikienrai-senpai would often pair up to go on scouting missions in order for the guild to raid another. Any group or organization from this New World would be lucky to get him onboard their ship. They would undoubtedly have smooth sailings with him cruising with them.

He was, of course, more suited for long-range combat. Not that close combat was an issue for him. If Ainz-ani could do it whilst being a Magic Caster, he, as an agility based character, would be disgraced if he could not even do something like this.

As soon as the announcer shouted 'begin!', Adalbert made sure that his speed was fast, but not too fast that he would disappear from the eyes of the humans, and stabbed the closest person in the throat.

Before the dying man could cover Adalbert's face in blood, he took a step back whilst yanking hard on his dagger. He grinned dementedly behind the safety of his scarf as he went to his next victim, all the whilst ignoring how his armored heel boots were being stained a beautiful shade of crimson.

* * *

**Ten minutes beforehand**

* * *

Arche was badly startled when a bowl of meat was shoved directly in front of her nose. When she traced the delicate hand back to its owner, she saw that the culprit was her vice-leader.

The purple haired half-elf who was always aware of her surroundings must have noticed Arche's lack of snacks and bought some finger food for her. She knew that she would not be able to dissuade Imina from babying her, thus Arche simply gave the kind Ranger her gratitude and ate her meat silently with a shy smile playing on her lips.

"What do you guys think of that Lowis?" At Hekkeran's words, Foresight's eyes went to the Ninja in question.

The participant was busy with dodging the swings of his foes by bending in inhumane angles.

She couldn't help but inwardly wince at such fancy acrobatics. They were more showy than practical if she were being honest. And apparently, Imina agreed with her internal comment if the half-elf's dry sarcasm was any indication.

"Oh, yes, of course. Someone who knows how to squeeze through tiny holes would be an awesome addition to our group," Imina then rolled her eyes, causing Roberdyck to chuckle and Hekkeran to pout.

"Expecting an experienced and strong scout to enter such a straightforward tournament is... But, I suppose there are  _exceptions_  everywhere." Roberdyck's nice way of describing someone that was eccentric and probably has a few screws loose.

Although Roberdyck was trying to be nice and supportive as per usual, Imina pointed out rather directly, one-hundred percent enjoying their leader's petulant attitude, "Only an insane Rogue-based class would dare challenge a Fighter-based class face on. Just accept that this isn't the right platform to search for a new scouting partner for me, Hekkeran. Besides, that was a one-time occurrence. It won't happen again."

At the unintentional reminder, Hekkeran's easy-going playfulness vanished in an instant. The members of Foresight all became gloomy as they recalled what had transpired during their previous request.

The client had given them outdated Intel and it had almost cost Imina her life when she went ahead of the team as per usual and did some recon alone. If not for Hekkeran's incredible six sense when it came down to Imina, Foresight would have lost their Ranger and comrade.

For now, they were taking a week-long break and giving the team tournament a shot. Arche knew that despite Foresight's amazing capabilities, she roughly estimated that they were only about Mithril rank if she pretended that they were a bunch of Adventurers. This was more of a test of teamwork skills than to win.

But if they did win, Arche would definitely be able to pay off her family's debt. One could only hope, she thought despairingly. However, she did not bring up that she wanted the prize money. Her comrades thankfully did not know about her alarming situation and she did not want to bring it to light - she was afraid that they would treat her differently if they were to know she was in debt.

"Anyway...! The answer is no. I vote to not recruit that Ninja guy." Imina quickly said as if wanting to disperse the gloom.

"Same." Arche nodded as she bit into her snacks, idly wondering if she should visit her two little sisters soon.

"I feel that he is incompatible with Imina-san." Even Roberdyck, a person who would always try not to disappoint others, gave a negative, which was saying a lot.

"Majority wins. Let's hope that the next batch has someone of Imina's level." Their leader shrugged and nonchalantly accepted their votes, immediately losing his interest on the Ninja guy Arche had already forgotten the name of.

When the referee announced this batch's winner (unsurprisingly not the Ninja guy), the crowd went wild, some even standing up as they screamed their congratulations.

Soon enough, when the sweepers flooded the arena to remove the bodies from the floor, the audience began to grumble impatiently, their adrenaline too pumped to wait for the cleaning crew to finish.

"Now then, ladies and gentlemen, the final batch!" The announcer announced with a loud voice, immediately silencing the crowd, "Please welcome them; numbers...-"

Arche tuned the announcer out as the man began to randomly list the fifty or so leftover numbers of the final batch of participants.

Because there were too many combatants, Arche could only depend on her innate Talent to seek for potential comrades. Not that her All-Seeing Eyes were of any use in this sort of tournament. Her Talent was only useful when facing against Magic Casters.

However, some scouts do have high MP, so she kept her eyes open.

It was when the battle royale started that she noticed a combatant that had been previously hiding in the shadows. He moved swiftly and elegantly, cutting the throats of his foes without batting an eyelid. Arche heard Imina's surprised exclamation as she hit Hekkeran on the arm to gain his attention.

The purple haired beauty immediately pointed to the one Arche had her eyes on, which made the two men in their group pay extra attention to the combatant, much to her distress.

The man had a head full of raven hair with only a silver streak remaining at the front. His dark blue eyes were droopy and sleepy looking behind his pair of round glasses, whilst his nose and mouth were covered by a navy blue scarf. He wore an exotic outfit that Arche did not recognize, calf-high armored boots, and iron gauntlets.

He was tall and his body was slender yet fit. The way the combatant swung his daggers was beautiful and deadly, full of grace and not a movement wasted. Arche knew from her gut feeling that this man was many times stronger than Imina, but even then, she wanted to stay far away from him. She did not want this indifferent killer to be part of Foresight.

It was then it happened.

She suddenly sucked in a deep breath as their eyes coincidentally connected, her entire body immoveable as she trembled in her seat. It was only for a split second, but it felt like an eternity. She was badly frightened and wanted to bolt right out of the Grand Arena immediately, forcefully dragging her comrades with her.

But she was too scared to move or even speak!

"Strong..." Roberdyck was in complete awe.

 _No!_  She wanted to forcefully yell and turn their heads away from the guy. She didn't want them to be tempted to recruit him.

"Amazing! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?! The way he moves... Oh my god...! That was so awesome! Did you guys see that?!" Imina cheered alongside the crowd when the combatant actually managed to behead someone with such a short and small dagger.

 _Stop! Don't be enticed by his strength!_ She wanted so badly to shake them whilst demanding that they look underneath his powerful exterior!

"He looks like someone from the south, don't you think?" Hekkeran mused as he stroked his chin in thought.

"But don't the people there have black hair and eyes?" Imina responded with curiosity.

"Yeah, but, his facial structure is somewhat similar to the people of the south. Besides, Zesshi Zetsumei is rumored to be the child of a Godkin, and we all know that Godkins supposedly came from the south - and her hair color is like his. Even their clothing style are both weird, which only supports my theory."

"My eyes are bad so I'm not able to see his features from such a distance. But even so, isn't half of his face covered by his scarf?" Roberdyck politely pointed out his doubt of Hekkeran's theory.

"... I still think he's from the south." Their leader pouted.

"Does it matter where he came from? I'm a half-breed yet you guys don't care. Or do you?" Imina teased.

"Of course not! How could you say that?!" Hekkeran wailed as he became an octopus and stuck close to Imina, who then hit him in the head. Roberdyck only laughed heartfully at the two lovers.

Arche did not pay her bantering comrades any mind, too focused on the emotionless blue eyes of the winner of the 12th batch. He gave her the chills; as if there was something just  _not right_  with him. His whole being screamed  _danger_.

It was as if he was something predatory pretending to be human. Would someone like that truly work well in a team? Or better yet, would someone with such a strong lonewolf vibe even consider teaming up with anyone that was weaker than he?

Arche was full of doubt as the other members of Foresight voted to recruit that person named Al. She didn't trust him one bit and would do her very best to make the others see what she was seeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me your thoughts on Adalbert's intention of becoming a Worker╭( ･ㅂ･)و
> 
>  **[1]** Járngreipr: A common item (iron gauntlets) that improves the user's strength. It is used by Ainz Ooal Gown members only to cover up their hands. An unknown member of Ainz Ooal Gown created this item for fun.
> 
> Ladies and gentlemen...! Season 3 has officially ended (T_T)! I sincerely hope that they won't just leave it there... There's so much content left to disclose to the anime watchers! There has to be a season 4! There has to be ●﹏●! I don't even care if I have to wait until 2021... Just make a season 4, please, Madhouse!
> 
> By the way, did anyone get CHILLS during Gazef and Ainz-sama's "duel", when Ainz-sama demanded them to applaud his supreme power, and also at the ending of episode 13 ۹(ᗒᗨᗕ)۶?! I was squealing and fangirling so hard due to Ainz-sama's coolness, just wanting to kowtow and kiss his feet 人○几 All hail the Sorcerer King~!


	10. Chapter 10

Adalbert was legitly baffled. He was currently standing at the backmost area of the arena, staring blankly at the female MC.

"Before we officially start day 2 of the Grand Combat Tournament, I will first announce the rules for this round's dueling."

The PVP round was currently being explained to the combatants and audience by the announcer, yet all his mind could wonder about was why Foresight has yet to make contact with him. Oh, yes, he knew that they were intrigued by him, Imina most of all.

Despite that, they have been merely observing him from afar.

"The duels will be in pairs - and the matching and sequence will be by lots. The winner will then move onto the next round, whereas the loser is eliminated from the tournament; if they are still alive, that is."

Of course, it was good that they didn't just recklessly go up to him and extend an invitation to join them, but their hesitation was making him lose his marbles.

He didn't know how other Sloth Demons acted (other than being generally reluctant to move), but when Adalbert has made up his mind, he did everything with an efficiency that was on par to a frenzied Ainz-ani during a magic spell experimentation - no delays, backtracks or whatever.

Adalbert's motto has always been; 'one needs to be fast to be lazy'.

Procrastinating has always been his life-long adversary, so this was actually enforced to him by Ainz-ani during their younger days. Nowadays, he simply followed that ideology in order to achieve the highest hours of doing  _absolutely nothing_.

And Foresight, currently, was testing his patience to its very limits. Their  _slowness_  in acting was  _appalling_ (and yes, he knew it was ironic for a Sloth Demon to complain about slowness). He decided that he would stay in this city for one more day, and after that, he would go back to Nazarick or follow Demiurge in the latter's mission.

"This will continue until the top 3 participants are left. They will then fight a three-way battle and the winner will be given a chance at fighting the current mantle holder; our Empire's 8th Generation Martial Lord, Go Gin!"

Adalbert turned his head slightly as he adjusted his posture, making his sight fall 'coincidentally' onto the Worker group in question. He blinked innocently as his blue eyes connected with Imina's pair of green eyes. The latter seemed to fall into a daze as they continued their staring match... that was until Arche nudged her comrade out of her trance.

That made him turn his sights back onto the still talking MC, outwardly portraying his indifference. However, on the inside, his eyes were  _burning_ red with unjust anger.

The previous day, whilst in the middle of spying on them, he had come to a shocking realization that Arche was  _afraid_  of him (his disguise has always been flawless, though, so how could she even notice anything wrong about him?), and he feared that she would use her position as an actual member of Foresight to influence the others' decision of recruiting him into their group.

Just look at Arche right now; she was doing everything in her power to distract her group from being enthralled by his powerful performances!

"Participants, is there anything you wish to clarify with me before we begin round 2? No? Excellent! We shall now start by drawing lots to randomly match the participants."

Adalbert did not know what he had done to arouse Arche's sense of wariness, but he knew that he would need to alter her perception of him soon - before the end of this tournament if he wanted to have the slightest of chances of using Foresight as his stepping stone.

If he failed, then he would need to run back home like a defeated dog (after mauling them for wasting his time, of course). His best friend would be laughing at his  _maybe_ -failure if the Pride Demon was here.

At times like this, he sincerely wished that his brain was more like Ainz-ani's, always filled with devious and never-ending plots and schemes. Masked social interactions and manipulations (politics, basically) have always baffled him, thus he had always left those kinds of troublesome things to Ainz-ani rather than improving himself in that department.

Now, he was regretting his younger self's rash (and lazy) decision. 

"-66 vs 14, 53 vs 55, 24 vs -"

Adalbert, who was basically daydreaming about being a badarse like his awesome big brother, was forcefully brought back to reality at his number.

His eyes re-focused onto the female MC, who wasn't really paying much attention to the participants' reaction and just announcing the result of the lot drawing. Despite being someone who was considered overpowered in this New World, he remained cautious and scanned the crowd for his opponent.

When his eyes landed on a male participant with the number 14 badge pinned on his armored chest, his whole frame covered in heavy muscles and carrying a buster sword on his back, Adalbert fingered his pitiful excuses of a dagger and sighed. There was no way these useless weapons would be able to hold its ground against such a heavy sword.

He weighed the pros and cons of Gate-ing back to Nazarick to lend some weapons from Cocytus, but after a while of consideration, thought better of it. Any weapon from Cocytus was a priceless treasure to the people here - and to remain as low key as possible, he would rather not have to use anything that was brutally enhanced to slay level 100 Players.

Besides, Cocytus would be curious. And knowing Cocytus's settings, Adalbert had no doubt that the Warrior would ask Demiurge if he knew the reason why Adalbert wanted some weapons - if they needed to prepare for a battle/fight/war.

And peaking Demiurge's interest was a big no-no. He would prefer to not deal with such a sly and cunning NPC who could  _literally_  talk his way through anything and everything. Demiurge's lore and settings were frightening - and now that their creation was a reality, Adalbert felt dumb when he stood next to Ulbert's child.

* * *

Whilst Adalbert was busy playing human elsewhere, Victim was leisurely floating towards the treasury, avoiding the eyes of every and all Nazarick denizens. His level might be low when compared to the patrolling guards and his fellow Floor Guardians, but his low presence made him practically invisible to those who weren't actively seeking him out.

His esteemed Creator, after all, needed him to remain unseeable when facing those foolish enough to invade the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The only way Victim would be of use was to sacrifice himself at an appropriate time, thus his Creator added a passive skill that made his presence similar to air.

To him, it was the highest honor to die in the name of Nazarick. His Creator was someone who treasured undying loyalty, and Victim knew from  _unintentionally_  eavesdropping on the Supreme Beings that his Creator threw his life away for a comrade many times, leaving Ainz-sama to resurrect him afterward.

It frightened Victim the very first time he heard his Creator had perished in a war against another guild, but when he saw his Creator on his Floor the very next day and heard some Supreme Beings complaining about dying being a trivial and troublesome thing, he realized that all the Supreme Beings were essentially immortal even without being resurrected by another. So they cared not for death; since they would be brought back to life due to an innate skill all Players (their species?) were born with (Victim assumed, anyway).

After his heart was settled, he constantly floated after his Creator every time the latter was on his Floor - only to be carried around or be used as a transportation platform, not that Victim minded (he secretly liked being a teddy bear and was always thankful to his Creator for making him hug-sized).

Now, knowing that Demiurge was sent to do some reconnaissance to plan in advance for Ainz-sama to become the ruler of this New World, to make the name of Ainz Ooal Gown develop the whole world, Victim had decided to pay an early visit to a certain Area Guardian who was actually Nazarick's ace in the hole - a role that was similar to his - to keep himself from being bored.

Due to Ainz-sama's cautious nature, Victim was told to never activate his Martyr skills unless stated otherwise. Victim knew that it was due to his Lord's benevolent disposition that he was given that order, but other than being a buff support, Victim felt useless. He, however, dared not say anything and reluctantly followed Ainz-sama's command.

As he reached the Treasury, he saw Pandora's Actor playing with a briefcase of some kind. When the other noticed Victim, the yellow briefcase was returned to his Item Box in a swift manner, which only made Victim all the more curious about the item that had radiated with immeasurable power.

"Victim,  _mein Bruder_  [1], welcome welcome welcome to the amazing place that I guard~" Pandora's Actor swooped over with a twirl and snatched Victim from the air, hugging the Angel against his chest.

Other than Demiurge, Pandora's Actor was his favorite person to bother. The stylish and lively Area Guardian was similar to a ray of sunshine, and as an Angel, he was attracted to this person's sunny personality. Hence, on normal days, Victim would visit Pandora's Actor in the afternoons after having breakfast with Demiurge.

".ydnA ,llew mees uoY"  _[You seem well, Andy.]_

Victim greeted, secretly enjoying the warmth of the other's arm around him. Cuddling has always been his not-so-secret guilty pleasure. 

"Indeed~ For you to visit so early in the morning, is there anything you need?~" The eccentric and flamboyant Doppelgänger asked as he reseated himself on the sofa, crossing his legs with great panache before settling Victim on his lap.

"?uoy tisiv ot nosaer a deen I oD"  _[Do I need a reason to visit you?]_

" _Nein_  [2],of course not~ You are welcome whenever,  _mein Bruder._  Although I do recall you usually arriving by afternoon, so forgive me for being curious~"

"...ti ot ygrene citengam dna egnarts a sah tI .si htiw gnilddif erew uoy esacfeirb taht tahw em llet uoy fi uoy evigrof ll'I"  _[I'll forgive you if you tell me what that briefcase you were fiddling with is. It has a strange and magnetic energy to it...]_

"Hmm~? What briefcase? Little ol' me wasn't doing anything before you came in here for a visitation~"

Pandora's Actor blinked his eyeholes and tilted his head innocently. If Victim had not seen how quickly the other had stashed away the briefcase, he would've doubted his own eyes and believed the actor's words.

With a sigh, he pointed out politely, "?edisni s'tahW .ydnA ,esacfeirb wolley ehT"  _[The yellow briefcase, Andy. What's inside?]_

"My, how curious you are,  _mein Bruder_ ~ Don't you know that curiosity kills the cat?~"

".ot em seriuqer sdroL ym revenehw eid I dna - tac a ton m'I ..."  _[... I'm not a cat - and I die whenever my Lords requires me to.]_

"Indeed indeed~ Your role is honorable and I must praise you for all your hard work~ You are indeed impressive - befitting of a Floor Guardian. May I know how breakfast with Demiurge went~?"

At the reminder of breakfast, Victim decided to drop his curiosity for now (he would continue to prod the Treasurer until dinner) and sighed, ".trohS"  _[Short.]_

If Victim had lips, he would be pouting about now.

With him having given nil missions thus far (unlike the other Floor Guardians bar Cocytus), he felt useless. The breakfast dates with Demiurge was something that distracted him from feeling inept and unneeded, but it would not continue to work in the long run. Truthfully, he was terrified of being disregarded by the two Supreme Beings.

He so badly wanted to be useful to them...

"Unsurprising."

At Pandora's Actor's response, Victim blinked before struggling to leave the other's arms. After another few seconds of wrestling futilely against the strength of a level 100 Doppelgänger, the latter released him with a playful giggle.

With a fond huff, he floated to the sofa opposite from Pandora's Actor and settled there.

".yrusaerT eht edistuo srettam eht ot suoivilbo yllausu er'uoY ? _gnisirprusnu_  yb naem uoy od tahW"  _[What do you mean by_ unsurprising _? You're usually oblivious to the matters outside the Treasury.]_

"Hmmmm~ I wonder~" Pandora's Actor sing-songed as he shifted into Adalbert-sama, causing Victim to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"?woH .neht noissim s'egruimeD tuoba wonk uoy emussa I"  _[I assume you know about Demiurge's mission then. How?]_

Pandora's Actor, in the form of Adalbert-sama, tapped his cheek with an ebony clawed nail, a mischevious look entering his black on blue crossed-shaped pupils. Not many knew about Pandora's Actor's existence, and lesser knew about the man's vexatious attitude - as if a cat playing with a cornered mouse.

".no won morf uoy gnitisiv morf flesym niartser ll'I .gnitairufni er'uoY"  _[You're infuriating. I'll restrain myself from visiting you from now on.]_

At that utterly false declaration, Victim floated to the exit, knowing that he would be back come tomorrow. He truly was lacking in playmates...

Before he manages to reach the entrance of the Treasury, Pandora's Actor was already standing in front of him with crocodile tears rolling down his masked cheek.

"Nooooo~ I humbly beg for your forgiveness,  _mein Bruder_ ~ Please don't say something so heartbreaking~" After that unconvincing crying act, Pandora's Actor football carried Victim and dashed back to the sofa, much to the latter's indignation.

To be treated as a football... That guy was definitely looking for trouble. No matter how much Victim enjoyed the other's cheery disposition, when Pandora's Actor got mischevious, it was really headache inducing.

"?ecaf s'amas-trebladA gniraew nehw taht ekil gnihtemos yas ton esaelp uoy naC"  _[Can you please not say something like that when wearing Adalbert-sama's face?]_

"Audible gasp! Are you saying that my portrayal as the great Adalbert-sama is lacking?! What an insult to my acting skills~!" The man, as soon as Victim was released, started to strike dramatic poses that made Victim cringe and retreat into his seat.

To see Adalbert-sama do something so...  _Pandora's Actor-esque_... was  _traumatizing_.

"If you doubt my talents so, bear witness to how I transform into a perfect replica of  _mein Gott_ [3]! I've been practicing to one day act as his body double. Watch in awe as I, without a doubt, turn into Momo- pardon me; Ainz Ooal Gown-sama!"

After those words were uttered, before Victim could stop the eccentric Doppelgänger, he had already changed into the mighty and skeletal form of Ainz-sama.

"Behold, Victim, a truly  _perfekt_  [4] replica from the angle of the ribs to the curves of the collar bones!"

But as if to contradict his bragging, as soon as Pandora's Actor opened his jaws to speak 'as Ainz-sama', Victim felt intense embarrassment  _ **for**  _Ainz-sama. Or rather, Victim lamented that Adalbert-sama would laugh for months if he bore witness to Pandora's Actor's imitation of Ainz-sama.

"Attention, my loyal subordinates!" Pandora's Actor stroke a pose with one skeletal finger pointing to the sky (ceiling), "Nazarick is now faced with an unknown crisis of magnitude proportions!"

After a pause for dramatic purposes, he then spread his arms wide, his robe's billowing with flair, " _ **HOWEVER**_ ~! Fear not! For I,  _Ainz Ooal Gown_ , shall splendidly resolve this problem with the ease of stealing a candy from a baby!"

Victim, despite his short limbs, did his best to facepalm. Pandora's Actor, as if oblivious to his audience's reaction, continued with a booming voice that had too much of a sing-song quality to it to truly come off as intimidating.

"Now, let us forge a kingdom and ride our horses upon the crack of dawn!  _Danke schön_ ~![5]" The actor raised his own indistinguishable imitation of the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown (how did it feel similar to the real one?) and started to laugh like a deranged madman.

Before Pandora's Actor could continue with his performance (Victim needed brain bleach for that), Victim was already out of the Treasury and floating swiftly to another floor. Once again, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for Ainz-sama.

Just as he reached the 8th Floor, he realized that he had been completely sidetracked by Pandora's Actor (was the briefcase that important of a secret?). He sighed at being outsmarted but couldn't be bothered to hold a grudge against the other. Pandora's Actor, was, after all, created by Ainz-sama as someone who was an artful and sly performer - whose intelligence perhaps rivals even that of Demiurge's.

With a fondly exasperated huff, he sent out a Message to Demiurge to tell him all about Pandora's Actor's poor performance of Ainz-sama, as well as to ask about the briefcase.

Their conversation lasted for about fifteen minutes with Demiurge chuckling throughout whilst reassuring Victim that he would get to the bottom of the briefcase situation. After ending the Message, Victim floated to search for Adalbert-sama, wanting the physical reassurance that he was not disposable.

When he couldn't find horns or tail of the Supreme Being, he Messaged CZ2128 Delta and asked her for their Lord's whereabouts, knowing that the combat maid was on Adalbert-sama-duty today. However, when he received a negative response, as well as the automaton stating monotonously that Adalbert-sama wished not to be disturbed, Victim ended the Message after giving his thanks.

Despite being told that, however, Victim still headed to the only place he knew Adalbert-sama would be when relaxing undisturbed - his bedchamber. Victim, of course, would not be disturbing Adalbert-sama. He would only be staying outside Adalbert-sama's door to breathe in the reassuring scent of his Lord's (diluted) Somnolent Miasma.

...

...

...

Victim flew to the 5th Floor with desperate urgency whilst sending a distressing Message to Demiurge.

...

...

...

As Victim made his way towards Arwinter at a surprising speed, he couldn't help but worry about Adalbert-sama. Even Demiurge agreed frantically and made a plan for them to guarantee the safety of Adalbert-sama. Despite both of them knowing that all of the Supreme Beings were immortal, Victim still felt deep and ingrained fear of being abandoned, be it intentional or unintentional.

He needed to physically see to Adalbert-sama's safety! He did not wish to hear about Adalbert-sama perishing in a battle/fight/war again, even temporarily!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the sweet, sweet reviews! (✿╹◡╹) It brings me great motivation whenever I see them. I sincerely hope that you guys have enjoyed this chapter! Do you guys think that Victim and Pandora's Actor are acting OOC? If yes, please tell me so that I can improve myself for the better ( •̀u• ́)ﻭ✧
> 
> German to English translation by Google-sensei:  
> [1] Mein Bruder - my brother  
> [2] Nein - no  
> [3] Mein Gott - my God  
> [4] Perfekt - Perfect  
> [5] Danke schön - thank you very much
> 
> P.S. Adalbert knew about Foresight via the prisoners. Unlike Ainz-sama, he ordered Neuronist to ask them specific questions for this plan of his (to venture out into the world, sightsee, and earn kaching!)


	11. Chapter 11

_An unfamiliar ceiling_ , Adalbert groggily mused as he awoken from his slumber.

It took him a quite few moments to reorientate himself and realize that he was currently lying on an uncomfortably hard bed in a room that looked similar to his at the Singing Apple INN. His gaze sharpened gradually as he analyzed his surroundings, fingering the hidden daggers in his sleeves in preparation for any abrupt attacks.

Usually, he would've gone from 0 to 10 within a split second after awakening at an unfamiliar location, but oddly enough, it took him a while to even go from 0 to 1.

When the door creaked open, Adalbert lethargically pushed himself into a seated position and held his forehead. He was acting as if he was still disorientated whilst he peered at the newcomers from his peripherals, judging them for any hidden weapons and ulterior motives.

"Ah! It looks like sleeping beauty has finally woke up. You okay? We found you passed out cold in front of the INN."

Four people crowded to the left side of his bed, and the one who spoke -  _Hekkeran_ , Adalbert reminded himself - grinned at him almost playfully as the human leaned slightly forward to hand over his pair of thin-framed, oversized circular glasses. Adalbert retrieved his decorative eyepiece accessory, perched it on his nose, before dropping his hand onto his blanket covered lap.

"I am fine," he nodded slowly, his cobweb-covered brain still actively trying to process how he had ended up collapsed out on the streets despite his HP being full, "What happened? And who are you?" Adalbert added the second question with a tilt of his head, pretending to be oblivious to their identities.

The leader of Foresight scratched his head and shrugged, before turning to look at his members. The other male human and lone half-elf also shrugged, whilst Arche remained stoic with her hands on her staff, knuckles white from how hard she was clutching at it.

Judging by her body posture and microexpressions, Adalbert knew that the blonde magic caster was extremely wary and suspicious of him being here - perhaps she even suspects that he did this on purpose to force their meeting.

Unfortunately, he could not claim credit for this unexpected scenario despite it bringing good results. It was completely unintentional on his part for him to be, quote, ' _passed out cold in front of the INN_ ' like some weakling. In fact, this plan would have  _never_  entered his mind in the first place as he was also too prideful to show a weakness in front of these lesser beings.

Purposely forcing himself,  _the_  One True Devil who governs over the Sin of Sloth, into fainting just to meet a handful of insects? How preposterous.

 _(Adalbert has long been influenced by Ulbert into becoming a misanthrope. Hence why 'Satoshi' had chosen to play as someone from the_ _Heteromorphic race when YGGDRASIL came online._ _After_ becoming  _his avatar, a Sloth Demon, his dislike for humans, in general, had soared and reached the heavens._

_Some nights, he would even contemplate the eradication of humanity... but ended up shrugging those thoughts away. They were too troublesome to act upon. Besides, he preferred napping and sightseeing rather than causing mass genocide, anyway. Holocausts took far too much energy._

_It was a harsh and cruel mentality, but he was not one to lie to himself.)_

"Right, introductions. Well, we four are a group of Workers called Foresight. I'm Hekkeran, the leader. These two beauties are Imina and Arche. Last but not least, this here's Roberdyck. He was the one who examined you to see if you had been injured during your fight in the tournament, but the conclusion was that you were just sleeping. Mind, we were getting worried since you've been out for the whole day without any signs of awakening!"

 _Sleeping_? Adalbert would've frowned if his facial muscles allowed for it.

As a Sloth Demon, let alone 24 hours, it would not be a surprise if he slept for days on end. But now that he was in his human form, he should be slightly more resilient to the lore of 'Sloth Demons tend to nap after four hours of activity in order to regain their energy'.

Despite being expressionless, he was desperately trying to come up with a logical solution to this conundrum. His resistance stats were maxed, hence abnormal status effects from a third party would not work on him. So why did he suddenly collapse?

His last recollection was walking back to the INN after his fight... only for the memory to be abruptly cut off as if his CPU had entered sleep-mode.

As if something suddenly clicked inside his head, Adalbert recalled that there was a lore written by the shitty devs for shapeshifting Sloth Demons.

The description was basically something along the lines of ' _whenever the Sloth shapeshifted into their human form, there was a high chance that the demon in question would develop narcolepsy the longer they remained in that form, hence why Sloth Demons were instinctually reluctant to enter their human form as it made them twice as vulnerable_ '.

A layer of cold sweat suddenly covered his entire back as Adalbert thought of the many ways he could have perished due to an abruptly random episode of narcolepsy. Ainz-ani would not be able to resurrect him if his body was left in a ditch somewhere since nobody from Nazarick knew of his current whereabouts (he had Pandora's Actor be his body double before he left).

Was the risk he was currently taking worth it? Adalbert wasn't sure. But he knew that he would have to be extremely careful whenever he was in this human form of his.

"Are you alright? Do you require healing?" Adalbert turned mechanically to Roberdyck, his eyes staring blankly at the worry written all over the human priest's face, "Your face has gone pale."

Taking a deep breath, Adalbert gave a firm nod. He would've smiled with reassurance if he could've, but alas, facial paralysis was a bitch (or rather, his body disliked humans so much it didn't want to show any positive facial/body language). It was hard to express emotions with only his default deadpan and monotonous voice to lean on.

"Your concern is unnecessary as I am always pale. Although it pains my entire being to do so, my brother has instilled manners into me. Hence, I will reluctantly give my thanks to you for your goodwill and make sure to pay off this debt no matter how undesirable it was in the first place."

Uh... Why did that come out so snobbish? What he was trying to convey was 'thanks so much for your help! How about I join your group in order to repay you for your kindness?'. He was trying to form a rapport, not break their relationship before it could even develop! Why was his mouth filter malfunctioning at a time like this?!

"Since you're  _so_  above us all, just leave already. We do not need a favor from such an ungrateful person," Arche glared, her tone scalding. Adalbert was tempted to return her glare with twice the venom. Thankfully, the leader of Foresight intervened.   

"Woah, woah, woah, Arche-chan! Don't be like that. I'm sure he didn't mean to sound that way. Right, er... What was your name again?" Hekkeran laughed sheepishly whilst patting the blonde magic caster's shoulder in a soothing manner.

Adalbert narrowed his eyes. It seems that it wasn't only him that pretended to be oblivious, "It's Al."

"Right, right. I'm sure Al-kun's still tired. And everyone's snappy when they're tire-  _hey_!"

Hekkeran was cut off when Foresight's half-elf forcefully pushed him aside so that she was the one standing next to Adalbert's seated form.

"We've seen you at the tournament. Your fighting style is magnificent - elegant like a dancer's yet deadly like an assassin's! I couldn't take my eyes off of you, Al-kun!" Imina's eyes were sparkling as she leaned eagerly into his face, her nose almost touching his, "Are you an Adventurer? A Worker?  ** _Do you want to join Foresight_**?! We need someone as talented as you!"

On instinct, Adalbert used a palm to push against her face, everything inside of him screaming for him to sear whichever insolent insect it was that dared come close to him without his permission. When he realized what he had done, he coughed lightly and looked away, forcing himself to blush and pretend that he had been embarrassed rather than disgusted by her close proximity.

"You're too close," Adalbert stated matter of factly. Imina, thankfully gullible enough to fall for his acting, smirked as if a cat that ate the canary.

"Oh my, are you shy? That's so cute~" The purple haired half-elf playfully and shamelessly poked at his reddened cheeks, "It makes this onee-san want to see you cry."

...  _A sadist_? Adalbert deadpanned in his heart. One could truly not judge a book by its cover.

"Imina..." Hekkeran laughed nervously whilst trying to pull her away from the disguised Demon.

"What? Are you jealous?" Imina leered.

"W-who's jealous?!" Hekkeran sputtered, face completely red.

The two soon began bickering back and forth like an old married couple. Roberdyck shook his head at their antics before turning his attention to Adalbert. He smiled kindly at the disguised Demon, Arche next to him - having not taken her eyes off of Adalbert the whole time.

"I apologize for my companions' brusqueness. They're loud, but they're good people."

"It's fine," Adalbert shrugged. He then turned to Imina, bluntly cutting into their conversation without a change of expression, "Hey, you. Imina, right? I'll accept your insistence that I join Foresight. Not because I like your group or anything - I'm joining to repay your goodwill. You better be grateful for my charity."

"Hoh? What's this? It can't be... Are you actually a tsundere?! That's so cute!" The half-elf suddenly leaped onto his bed whilst grinning widely. Adalbert only gave her the stink-eye for having the guts to call him a tsundere. Him, the World Champion of Muspelheim, a  _tsundere_? Hah!

"No take-backs! Welcome to Foresight, Al-kun!" Hekkeran hurried to join her, his grin stretched from ear to ear as he sat next to Imina, further causing Adalbert to feel uncomfortable at their lack of issue regarding personal space.

Roberdyck nodded happily along, his kind smile not once dropping as he patted Adalbert's shoulder in a welcoming manner. All it did was make the disguised Demon repress a shudder. For now, he would allow himself to be subjected to these lower lifeform's act of endearment. After he has exhausted all of their uses, he would leave without looking back.

When his pair of blue eyes focused on the remaining member of Foresight, Arche, he saw the former noble looking pale and horrified. Her mouth kept opening and closing, but no words of protest came out.

Adalbert lowered his head, his hair shadowing his features as his lips curved into an innocent smile. That expression on her face made his blood sing, the temptation to show her his innermost demons was almost impossible to ignore. Thankfully, he held back.

It seems he has won this battle of theirs. Poor little fallen noble.

Adalbert knew that she would continue to keep a close eye on him. Despite it sounding troublesome, inwardly, however, he wishes her the best of luck. In fact, he welcomed her to try and make him look like an evil megalomaniac. Entertainment was hard to come by nowadays, after all. 

After reassuring his temporary teammates that there was nothing wrong with his health, he retreated to his own rented bedroom after they've all had their dinner. Plucking off the glasses from his nose and the scarf around his neck, he placed them atop his nightstand and laid languidly on the beanbag bed he had taken out from his Item Box days prior, closing his eyes not a second later.

"I know you're there," Adalbert suddenly spoke, one half-lidded eye gazing at a shadowed corner, "Victim."

The silhouette of a small blob floated timidly towards him, and after reaching a meter distance from Adalbert, hovered lower until he was only a few centimeters off the ground. Due to how unflexible the Guardian's body was, he had no other choice but to pay his respects in that manner.

".amas-trebladA drolim ,uoy nopu eb ronoh dna sgnisselB"  _[Blessings and honor be upon you, milord Adalbert-sama.]_

"Why are you here? Ainz-ani made it clear that you are not allowed to leave the Tomb, Victim," Adalbert positioned himself until his ankles were crossed and his cheek resting lazily upon his knuckle.

".amas-trebladA ,tif ees uoy sa em hsinup esaelP .sredro s'amas-zniA gniyebosid rof ezigolopa I"  _[I apologize for disobeying Ainz-sama's orders. Please punish me as you see fit, Adalbert-sama.]_

Adalbert sighed at the non-answer he received, "Come here."

Victim didn't hesitate to follow his command. As soon as the Guardian was within arm's reach, Adalbert tugged the floating fetus and hugged him against his chest. He would question this naughty child of his tomorrow. For now, he wanted to sleep.

"?amas-trebladA"  _[Adalbert-sama?]_

"Hush," He murmured with his eyes closed, his body shifting back into his demi-human form now that he was out of sight from any nosy humans, "We shall continue this conversation later," Adalbert snuggled against the warm body in his arms and allowed the pull of darkness to take away his consciousness.

".amas-trebladA ,llew tseR .sdnatsrednu tnavres sihT"  _[This servant understands. Rest well, Adalbert-sama.]_

* * *

** Conqueror of Shadows Skill(s) **

**= Nero Assoluto** [ _Pure Black_ ] **:** The map the user is in will fall into complete darkness for 60 seconds, making all enemy units be affected by the negative status effect of Blind, Fear, and Silence. The user's attack speed and movement speed will increase by 15% for 30 seconds.

 **= Ombre Puppets Art Love** [ _Shadow Puppets Are Love_ ] **:** Takes a portion of the user's shadow and forms them into an inky puppet. The shape and mass vary to the user's imagination. The puppets are only great for scouting purposes as their stats are similar to level 20 Shadow Demons. The user can only summon up to 5 puppets at a time and they will remain for 300 seconds before returning to the User's shadow.

 **= Obsidian Pellis (Passive)** [ _Slate Skin_ ] **:**  Creates a layer of armor on the selected surface of the user's skin. Increases defense & offense by 50%. Has a 50-50 chance of inflicting Slow to those who make contact with the selected skin surface.

 **= Hikari aru tokoro ni kage ga aru** **(Passive)** [ _Where there is Light there is Shadow_ ] **:** HP & MP Regeneration rate increased by 20% upon being in bright areas. Will not activate if the user is engaged in combat.

=  **If thou gaze long into an Abyss, The Abyss will also gaze into thee (Passive)**  [ _Quote by Nietzsche_ ] **:** Emits an intimidating aura that inflicts Intimidate to whoever looks into the user's eyes for more than 4 seconds. Has a 100% chance of working on those who are level 40 and below, and a 40% chance for those who are level 80 and below. Has a 100% chance of allowing the user to see through their victim's numeric status.

 **= Shadow Warp:**  Grants the user the means of traveling a short distance from shadow to shadow.

 **= Sombra Is My Best Friend** [ _Shadow is my Best Friend_ ] **:**  Upon activation, the user will become one with the surrounding shadows. Increase in Stealth and Backstab damage, and decrease in Speed. No MP is needed to keep the skill activated.

 **= Umbra Regeneratione (Passive)** [ _Shadow Regeneration_ ] **:**  HP & MP Regeneration rate increased by 100% upon being in shadowed or dark areas. Will not activate if the user is engaged in combat.

 **= Welcome to my genial Monochrome World:**  The user can absorb up to 10 Players/Monsters concurrently into a pocket dimension made of their own shadow. Welcome to my genial Monochrome World reflects upon their current map with the difference of only in color and phantom imprints. All victims will be inflicted with Extreme Slow due to the increase of gravitational pressure. The only way to escape is to kill the user or wait until the user's MP has depleted.

 **= Vương quốc của bóng tối**  [ _Realm of the Shadow Monarch_ ]: The realm of shadows is a separate dimension from Welcome to my genial Monochrome World, a liveable environment that could be customized to the heart's desire. This skill is only available to Tamers. Able to summon and reabsorb their tamed monsters or pets from their shadow whenever and wherever. Capacity: 12.

Trivia:

*****  Welcome to my genial Monochrome World is often used by trolls to prank their allies since it allows Friendly Fire. The main victim, Momonga, can attest to that.

 *****  In the New World, puppets made from the skill Ombre Puppets Art Love don't have a time limit but have a quantity limit depending on their size.

 *****  Obsidian Pellis (Slate Skin) is the reason why Adalbert's limbs are black in color - against lower level Players, they can be considered a weapon on their own. The skill is turned off whilst in his human form.

 ***** If thou gaze long into an Abyss, The Abyss will also gaze into thee skill is the reason for Adalbert's sclera being black in color. The skill is turned off whilst in his human form.

 *****  Players deduced rather easily that the shitty dev who created this particular Class has a  _disturbing_  obsession with foreign languages.

 *****  The dev who created CoSS had admitted on YGGDRASIL's forum that he had been sloshed when he thought of the names for the skills, causing half the Players to kneel in worship in front of their computers whilst the other half scorned him for his appalling naming sense.

 **P. S.**  All translations are done by Google-sensei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone was wondering why I updated late... it wasn't due to my mischevious plot bunnies (ಠ ∩ಠ). It was because of my rebellious computer... ༼ಢ_ಢ༽! My will to write was broken because of it!
> 
> BECAUSE AFTER I WROTE A FULL CHAPTER (FINALIZED AND ALL), MY FUCKING MONITOR GAVE ME A BLUE SCREEN AND SAID ":( Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some error info, and then we'll restart for you." FUCK ERROR REPORT! FUCK EVERYTHING! FUCK LIFE! Y U DO TIZ TO ME?! I... AM DONE! THIS VERSION IS SHITE COMPARED TO MY FIRST ONE ( ༎ຶ _ ༎ຶ )!
> 
> UnknownRegion, PEACE OUT! *The author performed a flying dab whilst laughing crazily with tears streaming down their cheeks*

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by [This is our truth now](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15381954) by **EspirituDelMar** ԅ(♡﹃♡ԅ)
> 
> If you enjoy my stories and would like to further support my writing hobbies, please consider leaving me [coffee ](https://ko-fi.com/V7V5HKR7)@ https://ko-fi.com/V7V5HKR7 ! It'll be heavily appreciated! (๑•̀ㅁ•́ฅ


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